The World Series League

[abell1198]

The 1927 New York Yankees are starting to assert their dominance over the competition after the month of May. The Yankees followed up their lackluster start in April by posting a 22-7 record in May, giving them a five game lead in the American League 1920's Division with an overall record of 38-19. 1B Lou Gehrig (.321 avg., 16 HR, 41 RBI) and RF Babe Ruth (.277 avg., 16 HR, 45 RBI) lead the team with their bats. Gehrig made news on May 27 during a 13-5 pasting of the 1983 Baltimore Orioles when he went 4-5 with three homers and seven RBI. CF Earl Combs is tied for 2nd in the AL in triples with seven. On the mound, SP Waite Hoyt (6-1, 2.67 ERA), SP Herb Pennock (6-2, 2.68 ERA) and CL Bob Shawkey (4-0, 1.80 ERA, 15 Saves) lead the way. The pitching staff is ranked 3rd in the AL in ERA at 2.97. The Yankees continued their April winning streak by winning their first three games of May, completing a sweep of the 1921 New York Yankees. The '27 squad also managed to sweep the 1962 New York Yankees this month. The Yankees are currently on a nine game winning streak, sweeping the 1914 Philadelphia Athletics, 1983 Orioles and 1965 Minnesota Twins to finish the month.

Two teams are tied for second place at 33-24, 5 GB. The first team is the 1929 Philadelphia Athletics. LF Al Simmons (.324 avg., 10 HR, 36 RBI) and 1B Jimmie Foxx (.321 avg., 9 HR, 36 RBI) lead the lineup. SP Lefty Grove (6-3, 1.36 ERA) and SP Howard Ehmke (6-3, 3.05 ERA) lead a starting staff ranked #8 in the AL with a 3.19 ERA. Grove is currently 3rd in the AL in ERA and 2nd in the AL with 133 strikeouts. Ehmke made news on May 2 and May 13 with shutout games. On May 2, Ehmke won 9-0 over the 1954 Cleveland Indians, pitching a two hitter, with seven strikeouts and one walk. On May 13, the 1917 Chicago White Sox were defeated 1-0 when Ehmke pitched another two hit performance, while striking out two and walking two. The Athletics won their first four games of the month and seven of their first eight. A five game losing skid in the middle of the month set them back, but they've finished strong, winning their last seven games. The team tied with the Athletics are the 1920 Cleveland Indians. CF Tris Speaker (.379 avg., 3 HR, 35 RBI) and RF Elmer Smith (.344 avg., 9 HR, 48 RBI) lead the lineup. Speaker is tied for 2nd in the AL in batting average and doubles (26) and is 3rd in the AL with a .492 OBP. 1B George Burns is tied for 4th in the AL with 21 stolen bases. SP Duster Mails (7-4, 2.87 ERA) and SP Ray Caldwell (7-1, 3.01 ERA) lead the pitching staff.

In fourth place are the 1921 New York Yankees at 32-25, 6 GB. The Yankees have no .300 hitters and are 100th in the AL with a team batting average of .239. LF Babe Ruth (.251 avg., 10 HR, 34 RBI) is hitting for power when he can hit the ball. SP Waite Hoyt leads the pitching staff at 7-4, 3.63 ERA. The Yankees finished their month on a high note, winning their last five games and sweeping the 1980 Kansas City Royals in the process.

The 1925 Washington Senators find themselves in fifth place at 31-26, 7 GB. DH Roy Carlyle is hitting .321 and is 1st in the Majors with 29 doubles. SP Dutch Ruether (7-3, 2.27 ERA) made news twice in the month while pitching shutouts. Ruether pitched a 9-0 shutout win over the 1933 Washington Senators on May 11, allowing six hits, while striking out seven and walking four. Ruether's other shutout was on May 27, a 4-0 win over the 1972 Oakland A's. Ruether allowed 3 hits, while striking out eight and walking three. He is tied for 1st in the Majors with 4 shutouts.

In sixth place are the 1924 Washington Senators at 29-28, 9 GB. 1B Joe Judge leads all hitters with a .307 average. SP George Mogridge (9-2, 2.43 ERA) is tied for the Major League lead in wins. SP Walter Johnson is 2-6, with a 2.92 ERA and is 5th in the AL with 119 strikeouts. Johnson made news on May 8 when he struck out 15 in a 5-2 win over the 1975 Boston Red Sox. Johnson allowed only four hits and walked one.

Two teams are tied for seventh place at 26-31, 12 GB. The first is the 1928 New York Yankees. 2B Tony Lazzeri leads the team with a .322 batting average. RF Babe Ruth (.296 avg., 14 HR, 37 RBI) is doing what he can to keep the team competitive. CL Archie Campbell (3-1, 1.93 ERA, 10 saves) is performing well. SP Waite Hoyt (6-3, 5.19 ERA) made news on May 12 when he threw a shutout over the 2010 Texas Rangers, winning the game 10-0 while allowing five hits, striking out four and walking none. The 1926 New York Yankees are the other team tied for seventh. RF Babe Ruth is hitting .340, has 27 home runs and 67 RBI. Ruth ranks 1st in the Majors in slugging at .832, 1st in the Majors in RBI and is 1st in the AL in HR. Unfortunately for the Yanks, their bad pitching is keeping them from winning.

Two teams are tied for ninth place at 25-32, 13 GB. The first is the 1923 New York Yankees, who are led by CF Whitey Witt (.302 avg.) and RF Babe Ruth (.264 avg., 13 HR, 40 RBI). But the real story for this team is SP Bullet Joe Bush, who took home May Starter of the Month honors. Bush (6-5, 2.72 ERA) pitched a month to remember, throwing three shutouts, while going 5-0 with a 0.71 ERA. Opposing hitters only managed to hit .130 in May. Bush pitched shutouts over the 2000 New York Yankees on May 3 (4-0 W), the 2012 Detroit Tigers on May 14 (3-0 W) and the 1955 New York Yankees on May 19 (5-0 W). The '23 Yanks finished the month with a three game sweep of the 1992 Toronto Blue Jays. The other team tied for last place is the 1922 New York Yankees. LF Babe Ruth is the team's best hitter at .320, 20 HR, 47 RBI. Ruth is also 4th in the AL in slugging (.695) and 5th in home runs. SP Sad Sam Jones leads the pitchers at 7-2, 3.04 ERA.

The National League has the 1925 Pittsburgh Pirates leading the division at 33-24. RF Kiki Cuyler is hitting .343, while the team is hitting .274 overall. The Pirates managed winning streaks of five and six games in May, sweeping the 1930 St. Louis Cardinals and 1941 Brooklyn Dodgers. The Pirates ended the month on a sour note, however, as they were swept in a three game series against the 1978 Los Angeles Dodgers.

The 1928 St. Louis Cardinals are in second place, 1 GB with a record of 32-25. LF Chick Hafey is the best in the lineup at .349, 17 HR, 46 RBI. Hafey is also 4th in the NL in slugging at .651. SP Syl Johnson (5-3, 1.53 ERA) is 5th in the NL in ERA. SP Pete Alexander (7-2, 2.49 ERA) made news on May 4 with a 6-0 win over the 1955 Brooklyn Dodgers, allowing five hits, while striking out six and walking none.

Three teams find themselves tied for third place at 30-27, 3 GB. The first team is the 1926 St. Louis Cardinals. The Cardinals have no .300 hitters and their best pitcher is SP Pete Alexander at 5-2, 2.61 ERA. The Cardinals ended the month on a four game losing streak. The next team is the 1921 New York Giants. RF Ross Youngs is hitting .339 to lead the team. SP Rosy Ryan (5-1, 3.39 ERA) and SP Art Nehf (5-3, 3.10 ERA) lead the pitching staff. The Giants turned things around in May after a slow start in April. They managed to put together winning streaks of four and six games, sweeping the 2003 Florida Marlins and 1907 Chicago Cubs. The Giants ended May with a 19-10 record. The final team is the 1929 Chicago Cubs. The Cubs have three .300 hitters in the lineup, with the best being LF Riggs Stephenson at .367. The team is 4th in the NL with a .289 average and is 6th in the NL with a .356 OBP. SP Pat Malone (7-3, 2.16 ERA) leads a struggling pitching staff. Malone is 6th in the NL with 107 strikeouts and made news on May 30 with a 8-1 win over the 1993 Philadelphia Phillies. Malone struck out 15 in that game, allowing four hits and walking none. The Cubs also put together an eight game winning streak in May, sweeping the 2006 St. Louis Cardinals and 1945 Chicago Cubs.

Three teams are tied for sixth place in the division at 26-31, 7 GB. The first team is the 1923 New York Giants, led by 2B Frankie Frisch's .338 batting average. The Giants are 10th in the NL with a .281 team batting average and .347 OBP. SP Rosy Ryan (6-3, 3.34 ERA) is the best pitcher on a starting staff ranked 103rd in the NL with a 4.80 ERA. The bullpen is even worse, ranked 107th in the NL with a 6.78 ERA. Combined, the pitching staff ranks last (108th) in the NL with a combined ERA of 5.44. CF Casey Stengel (.310 avg., 9 HR, 30 RBI) was named Player of the Week on May 13. The Giants ended their month on a three game skid when they were swept by the 1964 St. Louis Cardinals. The next team is the 1922 New York Giants. 2B Frankie Frisch and RF Ross Youngs are each hitting .306. SP Art Nehf leads the pitching staff at 6-3, 2.21 ERA. The Giants ended their month on the losing end, dropping three straight to the 1934 St. Louis Cardinals. The third team is the 1920 Brooklyn Robins, who were speculated to compete for the division title. Unfortunately for the Robins, the only hitters on their team are 3B Jimmy Johnston (.328 avg) and 1B Ed Konetchy (.308 avg). The team is ranked 100th in the NL with a team average of .240. Their OBP of .285 ranks them 107th in the NL. Meanwhile, the pitching staff is ranked 5th in the NL with a 2.92 ERA. The starters rank 2nd in the NL with a 2.68 ERA. SP Leon Cadore (4-5, 3.17 ERA) made news on May 2 with a 9-0 win over the 1954 New York Giants. Cadore held the Giants to two hits, striking out six while walking one. The Robins are currently on a four game losing skid, as they were swept by the 1979 Pittsburgh Pirates.

Two teams are tied in the bottom of the division at 25-32, 8 GB. The 1927 Pittsburgh Pirates have 3B Pie Traynor hitting .316, while CL Johnny Morrison (1-3, 1.73 ERA, 11 Saves) is pitching well from the bullpen. The Pirates performed admirably in May, posting a 17-12 record after a disastrous 8-20 April. Pittsburgh won their first four games, then lost their next four in a row and eventually six of seven. The Pirates finished the month 12-6 and are looking to get out of the basement. The other team sharing the basement is the 1924 New York Giants. RF Ross Youngs (.317 avg.) leads the team in hitting and was named NL Player of the Week on May 20. CL Claude Jonnard (1-3, 2.57 ERA, 13 Saves) is performing well out of the pen.

[abell1198]

In the American League 1930's Division, a winning record only guarantees you won't be in last place. The favorites to win the division, the 1939 New York Yankees, are in first place at 39-18. The Yankees are ranked #2 defensively and are led by CF Joe DiMaggio (.356, 11 HR, 47 RBI) at the plate. SP Lefty Gomez (7-2, 1.96 ERA) and SP Atley Donald (8-1, 2.94 ERA) are setting the pace for the pitching staff. Donald made news on May 7 with a 7-0 win over the 1926 New York Yankees. Donald only allowed 4 hits, while striking out 8 and walking none. The '39 Yanks went 21-8 in May while putting together two six game winning streaks where they swept the 1980 Kansas City Royals, the '26 Yanks and the 1922 Yanks. The Yankees ended the month on a five game winning streak, sweeping the 1968 Detroit Tigers.

In second place are the 1936 New York Yankees at 37-20, 2 GB. The '36 squad is ranked #3 defensively and are led at the plate by 1B Lou Gehrig (.329, 12 HR, 43 RBI). SP Pat Malone (7-0, 2.73 ERA) is leading the pitching staff. The '36 Yanks put together two five game winning streaks during May, sweeping the 1967 Boston Red Sox and 1931 Philadelphia Athletics. The Yankees were swept this month by the 1989 Oakland A's.

The 1932 New York Yankees are in third place at 35-22, 4 GB. The '32 Yankees have the #5 ranked pitching staff in the AL, with the starters 7th at 3.18 ERA, while the bullpen is 4th with a 2.69 ERA. Opposing hitters are only hitting .221, which ranks the Yankees at #2 in the AL. SP Lefty Gomez (8-2, 1.96 ERA) is the best starter, although SP Red Ruffing (4-6, 2.97 ERA) is ranked third in the AL in strikeouts with 126. CL Jumbo Brown (3-0, 1.82 ERA, 12 SV) leads the bullpen. SP George Pipgras (6-2, 3.17 ERA) made news on May 12 in an 8-0 win over the 1915 Boston Red Sox when he allowed only one hit, while striking out 11 and walking three. RF Babe Ruth (.310, 15 HR, 46 RBI) is the team's leading hitter.

In fourth place are the 1934 Detroit Tigers at 33-24, 6 GB. 1B Hank Greenberg (.299, 4 HR, 44 RBI) leads the lineup. 3B Marv Owen (.255, 2 HR, 25 RBI) earned Player of the Week honors on May 20 by hitting .536 that week, with 2 HR and 10 RBI. SP Schoolboy Rowe (6-3, 2.52 ERA) is the team's best pitcher. The Tigers went 18-11 in May. After starting the month at 3-8, Detroit won 11 of their next 12 games, sweeping the 1997 Cleveland Indians, 2010 Texas Rangers and 1982 Milwaukee Brewers. The Tigers also finished the month with a three game sweep of the 1935 Detroit Tigers.

The 1930 Philadelphia Athletics are in fifth place with a record of 32-25, 7 GB. C Mickey Cochrane leads the team with a .311 average. The star of this team, however, is SP Lefty Grove (7-3, 1.22 ERA, 120 K). Grove is 2nd in the AL in ERA, 2nd in opponent batting average (.172) and 4th in strikeouts. Grove leads a starting staff ranked 11th in the AL with a 3.27 ERA. Unfortunately, the bullpen is ranked 101st with their 6.11 ERA. The Athletics managed a sweep of the 1973 Oakland A's this month and ended May with a four game winning streak, sweeping the 1996 New York Yankees in the process.

Two teams find themselves tied for sixth place at 31-26, 8 GB. The 1933 Washington Senators have five .300 hitters in their lineup and are ranked #2 in the AL with their .293 team batting average. The Senators are also ranked #6 in OBP at .365. LF Heinie Manush is the leading hitter at .363 and is 4th in the AL with 86 hits. CF Fred Schulte (.298, 4 HR, 35 RBI) is tied for 4th in the AL with six triples. SP Earl Whitehill (8-2, 2.67 ERA) leads an average pitching staff. The second team in sixth place is the 1938 New York Yankees. The Yankees collapsed in May, going 11-18 after a 20-8 start. The Yankees were swept by the 1919 Chicago White Sox and only won two series this month. LF George Selkirk leads the lineup with a .323 average and SP Lefty Gomez (8-1, 1.71 ERA) is the team's best pitcher.

The 1931 Philadelphia Athletics are in eighth place at 30-27, 9 GB. Pitching for the Athletics has been sub par so far, but LF Al Simmons is doing his best to carry the team. Simmons is hitting .367 and is tied for 5th in the AL with 83 hits. Simmons also had a 22 game hitting streak. SP George Earnshaw (5-4, 4.90 ERA) made news on May 26 with a 2-1 win over the 1922 New York Yankees. Earnshaw allowed four hits, struck out 15 and walked two. The Athletics suffered through a nine game losing streak this month, but followed it with an eight game winning streak.

Ninth place is held by the 1937 New York Yankees at 29-28, 10 GB. CF Joe DiMaggio (.366, 11 HR, 50 RBI) and 1B Lou Gehrig (.304, 14 HR, 40 RBI) lead the lineup. DiMaggio is tied with Al Simmons of the 1931 Athletics for 5th in the AL in hits with 83. SP Lefty Gomez (8-3, 2.85 ERA, 113 K) is the team's leading pitcher. RF Myril Hoag made news on May 2 during a 12-3 win over the 1951 New York Yankees. Hoag (.277, 1 HR, 27 RBI) went 5-6 with three singles, a double and a triple.

In last place are the 1935 Detroit Tigers at 26-31, 13 GB. The Tigers are 4th in the AL in hitting with a team average of .288 and 2nd in the AL in OBP at .372. But the pitching has been terrible, posting a 5.02 combined ERA. Detroit is led by LF Goose Goslin (.353, 2 HR, 31 RBI) and 1B Hank Greenberg (.331, 14 HR, 53 RBI). Goslin put together a 31 game hitting streak this season, while CF Gee Walker (.301, 4 HR, 31 RBI) put together a 21 game hitting streak. The Tigers have been winning and losing in streaks as well. They won seven in a row in the middle of May, sweeping the 1981 New York Yankees. But they are currently on an eight game skid after being swept by the 1976 New York Yankees and 1934 Detroit Tigers.

The National League 1930's Division is led by the 1934 St. Louis Cardinals at 35-22. The Cardinals are ranked 7th in the NL with a .286 batting average and have four .300 hitters in the lineup. LF Joe Medwick is the leading hitter at .366, 8 HR, 45 RBI. SP Paul Dean leads the starters with an 8-2 record and 2.19 ERA. CL Bill Walker is doing the job out of the pen, posting a 3-1 record, a 2.25 ERA and 17 saves.

In second place are the 1932 Chicago Cubs at 32-25, 3 GB. C Gabby Hartnett (.351 avg) is one of three .300 hitters. SP Charlie Root (7-2, 2.59 ERA) leads the pitching staff. The Cubs struggled in May, going 13-16 after starting the season 19-9. SP Lon Warneke (4-6, 3.10 ERA) made news on May 30 with a 10-0 shutout win over the 1914 Boston Braves. Warneke allowed only two hits, while striking out five and walking one.

The 1930 St. Louis Cardinals are in third place at 29-28, 6 GB. C Gus Mancuso leads the hitters with his .337 average. The Cards did a nice job in May, going 17-12 after starting the season 12-16. The Cardinals starters have been performing well. SP Burleigh Grimes (6-3, 3.24 ERA) and SP Bill Sherdel (5-1, 3.32 ERA) lead the staff. SP Bill Hallahan (2-6, 3.22 ERA) is ranked 3rd in the NL with 119 strikeouts and 5th in the NL in opponent batting average (.171). Unfortunately for the Cards, their bullpen is ranked 104th in the NL with an ERA of 5.82.

The fourth place team is the 1938 Chicago Cubs at 28-29, 7 GB. The Cubbies have no .300 hitters and are ranked 94th in the NL with a .244 team batting average. Three starting pitchers have ERA's under 3.00: Charlie Root (4-3, 2.70 ERA), Larry French (3-5, 2.89 ERA) and Clay Bryant (5-5, 2.94 ERA). Bryant made news on May 3 with a 7-0 win over the 2012 San Francisco Giants when he allowed four hits, while striking out six and walking one.

The 1937 New York Giants are in fifth place at 27-30, 8 GB. 2B Burgess Whitehead is the leading hitter with his .310 batting average, while SP Carl Hubbell leads the pitchers at 7-4, 3.55 ERA. The Giants ended the month on a seven game skid while being swept by the 1975 Cincinnati Reds and 1933 New York Giants.

The 1935 Chicago Cubs find themselves in sixth place at 26-31, 9 GB. 2B Billy Herman is the leading hitter at .330. Herman made news on May 14 during a 8-0 win over the 1950 Philadelphia Phillies. Herman went 5-5 with three singles and two doubles. SP Larry Warneke (6-4, 3.55 ERA) and SP Larry French (5-4, 3.35 ERA) lead the pitching staff. French added insult to injury in the win over the Phillies by pitching the shutout. French allowed six hits, struck out four and walked three.

In seventh place are the preseason favorites to win this division. The 1931 St. Louis Cardinals are 25-32, 10 GB. C Jimmie Wilson (.327 avg) is the only .300 hitter for the team. SP Paul Derringer (5-5, 2.78 ERA) and SP Syl Johnson (5-2, 3.51 ERA) lead the staff. The Cards went 11-18 this month and were swept by the 1922 New York Giants and 1991 Atlanta Braves.

The eighth place team is the 1936 New York Giants at 24-33, 11 GB. The Giants have no .300 hitters in their lineup. LF Hank Leiber (.288, 10 HR, 34 RBI) is the best at the plate so far. Leiber made news on May 26 when he went 5-5 in a 10-3 win over the 2002 San Francisco Giants. Leiber hit three singles, a triple and a home run. The pitching has been terrible thus far and is ranked 96th in the NL with a 4.50 ERA. The team only won one series in May when they swept the 1924 New York Giants.

The 1933 New York Giants are in ninth place at 23-34, 12 GB. 1B Bill Terry leads the lineup with his .313 batting average. SP Carl Hubbell (6-3, 2.87 ERA) is the team's best pitcher. The Giants suffered through a 10-19 month in which they had two four game losing streaks and a six game skid. During those streaks, the Giants were swept by the 1985 St. Louis Cardinals, the 1966 Los Angeles Dodgers and 1913 New York Giants. But, they may be turning things around, as they ended the month on a three game winning streak, sweeping the 1937 New York Giants and won five of their last six.

In last place are the 1939 Cincinnati Reds at 22-35, 13 GB. Strangely enough, though, this team is looking to be on their way up. The Reds went 16-13 in May after starting the season 6-22. Although they have no .300 hitters in the lineup, all starting pitchers have ERA's under 4.00. SP Paul Derringer (4-5, 3.00 ERA) made news on May 25 with his 4-0 win over the 1970 Cincinnati Reds. Derringer allowed five hits, struck out eight and walked one. The '39 Reds won six series in May and swept the 1989 San Francisco Giants.

[abell1198]

The American League 1940's Division is lead by the 1948 Cleveland Indians at 35-22. SS Lou Boudreau leads the lineup with his .332 batting average, while two others are hitting over .300. But the real reason for the Indians success is their pitching. SP Bob Lemon (6-2, 2.31 ERA), SP Bob Feller (5-3, 2.78 ERA) and SP Gene Bearden (7-3, 2.58 ERA) have been a formidable trio in the first two months of the season. The Indians are playing consistent ball, posting a 17-12 record in May after going 18-10 in April.

In second place are the 1943 New York Yankees, who find themselves 2 GB at 33-24. The Yankees have no .300 hitters, but four players are hitting over .290. Pitching is this team's strength as well. The pitching staff is 1st in the AL in HR's Allowed (23), Runs Allowed (170) and ERA (2.80). The starters are 2nd in the AL for starter's ERA (2.68). The starting staff is as follows: Spud Chandler, 6-2, 1.01 ERA; Butch Wensloff, 7-5, 3.46 ERA; Hank Borowy, 6-4, 3.82 ERA; Tiny Bonham, 6-3, 3.24 ERA; Bill Zuber, 5-4, 2.14 ERA. Chandler leads the Majors in ERA and is tied for 2nd in the AL with three shutouts. Bonham made news on May 23 with his 6-0 shutout win over the 2008 Tampa Bay Rays, allowing four hits while striking out four and walking two.

Two New York Yankees teams are tied for third place at 32-25, 3 GB. The first team is the 1947 New York Yankees. The 1947 squad is 6th in the AL in batting average (.286), 7th in the AL in OBP (.364) and 9th in the AL in Runs Scored (302). The '47 Yanks have three .300 hitters: RF Tommy Henrich (.348), 1B George McQuinn (.342) and CF Joe DiMaggio (.341). SP Spud Chandler (9-2, 1.47 ERA) leads the pitching staff. Chandler is also 4th in the AL in ERA. SP Bobo Newsom (3-8, 4.73 ERA) made news on May 19 when he threw a no-hitter in a 7-0 win over the 1966 Baltimore Orioles. Newsom faced 28 batters, striking out six and walking one. The other team tied for third place are the preseason favorites to win the division, the 1941 New York Yankees. The '41 Yanks starting pitching is ranked 9th in the AL with their 3.25 ERA, while the bullpen is 3rd in the AL at 2.63. SP Marius Russo is 8-1, with a 1.97 ERA. The Yankees have three .300 hitters. CF Joe DiMaggio (.335) leads the team, followed by SS Phil Rizzuto (.329) and C Bill Dickey (.329).

The 1946 Boston Red Sox are in fifth place at 31-26, 4 GB. The Red Sox are 3rd in the AL in batting average (.291) and 4th in the AL in OBP (.366). SP Joe Dobson leads the pitching staff at 6-3, 3.70 ERA. The reason for the Red Sox success is their hitting. SS Johnny Pesky (.379) is one of four .300 hitters in the lineup. Pesky managed to put together a 42 game hitting streak this year which ended on May 26 against the 1977 New York Yankees. Pesky leads the AL in hits with 94 and is 3rd in the AL in batting average. LF Ted Williams (.354, 14 HR, 52 RBI) is 5th in the AL in OBP at .470.

In sixth place are the 1944 St. Louis Browns at 30-27, 5 GB. DH Milt Byrnes (.313 avg) is the only .300 hitter in the lineup, while SP Jack Kramer leads the pitchers at 5-3, 3.33 ERA. The Browns turned things around in May, posting a record of 18-11 after going 12-16 in April. The Browns swept the 1970 Baltimore Orioles and only lost two series this month.

The 1942 New York Yankees find themselves in seventh place at 28-29, 7 GB. C Bill Dickey leads the hitters with his .333 batting average, while SP Tiny Bonham leads the pitchers at 5-3, 3.11 ERA. The Yankees suffered through a 12-17 record this month and were swept by the 2005 Chicago White Sox and 1951 New York Yankees.

Two teams are tied for eighth place at 25-32, 10 GB. The first team is the 1949 New York Yankees. CF Joe DiMaggio leads the team with his .356 batting average and SP Fred Sanford leads the pitching staff with a record of 5-2 and 3.46 ERA. The Yankees are trying to turn things around after a rough start in April. Their three game skid at the end of April turned into an eight game losing streak when they lost their first five games of May. During this streak, the team was swept by the 2001 and 1932 Yankee squads. But the team finished the month 15-9, sweeping the 1919 Chicago White Sox and 1907 Detroit Tigers. The second team is the 1940 Detroit Tigers. The Tigers pitching has been terrible, ranking 107th in the AL in Runs Allowed (341) and ERA (5.86). Defensive efficiency is ranked 104th in the AL as well. The hitting, however, has been another story. The Tigers are 1st in the AL in Runs Scored (345), 1st in OBP (.375) and 5th in batting average (.286). LF Hank Greenberg has been a one man hitting machine for the Tigers. Greenberg is hitting .367 with 14 HR and 54 RBI. Greenberg is 3rd in the AL in hits with 87 and 2nd in the AL with 54 runs scored. Greenberg was named the AL Top Hitter for May, hitting .397 with 9 HR and 30 RBI this month.

In last place are the 1945 Detroit Tigers at 17-40, 18 GB. RF Roy Cullenbine (.307 avg) is the team's only .300 hitter. The Tigers have been streaky, with two 5-game losing streaks and winning streaks of three and five. The Tigers ended the month on a four game skid.

In the National League, there is a tie for first place at 34-23. The first team is the 1944 St. Louis Cardinals. CF Johnny Hopp (.321) is the team's only .300 hitter. SP Harry Brecheen (5-2, 2.30 ERA) and SP Max Lanier (5-4, 2.41 ERA) lead the starters, while CL Blix Donnelly (2-0, 0.65 ERA, 17 saves) leads the bullpen. Lanier is 4th in the NL in strikeouts with 115. The Cardinals had an eight game winning streak and two 4-game winning streaks this month, sweeping the 1953 Brooklyn Dodgers and 1983 Philadelphia Phillies. The second team in this tie is the 1940 Cincinnati Reds. The Reds have no .300 hitters in their lineup, but three players are hitting .290 or better. The Reds pitching staff has been one of the best. The starters are ranked 5th in the NL with a 2.79 ERA. The staff is lead by SP Paul Derringer (8-4, 2.23 ERA), SP Bucky Walters (7-3, 2.10 ERA) and SP Jim Turner (5-4, 2.87 ERA). The Reds pitched seven shutouts in May. Walters is tied for 1st in the Majors with four shutouts and leads the NL. Turner is tied for 2nd in the NL with three shutouts. The pitching staff as a whole is ranked 8th in the NL with a 3.05 ERA.

There are two teams tied for third place at 31-26, 3 GB. The first team is the 1949 Brooklyn Dodgers. 2B Jackie Robinson leads all hitters with his .344 batting average, while SP Ralph Branca leads the pitchers with a 6-4 win-loss record and 3.45 ERA. Branca is the only starter with an ERA under 4.00. The second team and preseason favorites to win the division are the 1948 Boston Braves. LF Jeff Heath is the only .300 hitter at .308. SP Warren Spahn leads the pitching staff at 6-4, 2.89 ERA. Spahn is tied for 2nd in the NL with three shutouts. Spahn also made news on May 26 when he threw a two hit shutout against the 1963 Los Angeles Dodgers, winning 2-0, while striking out five and walking none.

In fifth place are the 1945 Chicago Cubs at 30-27, 4 GB. After holding a share of first place at the end of April, the Cubs stumbled a bit, ending May with a 14-15 record. The Cubs best hitters are 3B Stan Hack (.327), LF Peanuts Lowrey (.324) and 1B Phil Cavarretta (.323). Leading pitchers for the team are SP Claude Passeau (5-1, 2.85 ERA), SP Ray Prim (6-2, 2.81 ERA) and SP Hank Borowy (6-3, 2.75 ERA).

Two teams are tied for sixth place at 29-28, 5 GB. The first is the 1942 St. Louis Cardinals. The Cardinals were picked to be a contender this season, but aren't showing it. RF Enos Slaughter leads the hitters with a .394 batting average. Slaughter is 3rd in the NL in average and is tied for 2nd in OBP in the NL at .474. LF Stan Musial is hitting .317. SP Lon Warneke (6-3, 3.45 ERA) made news on May 24 when he threw a perfect game against the 2006 St. Louis Cardinals. Warneke struck out seven in the 9-0 win. The second team in this tie is the 1941 Brooklyn Dodgers. RF Dixie Walker (.315) is one of three .300 hitters in the lineup. 1B Dolph Camilli (.299, 15 HR, 53 RBI) is 2nd in the NL in RBI. SP Whit Wyatt (6-5, 2.54 ERA) and SP Hugh Casey (6-2, 2.69 ERA) lead the pitchers. The Dodgers have been streaky, losing seven in a row at one point, then followed it up with a six game winning streak.

The 1947 Brooklyn Dodgers find themselves in eighth place at 28-29, 6 GB. CF Pete Reiser is hitting .314, while 1B Jackie Robinson is hitting .309. RF Dixie Walker (.267, 2 HR, 26 RBI) is tied for 4th in the NL with 25 doubles. The Dodgers pitching is ranked 98th with a 4.54 ERA. Regardless, the Dodgers made strides this month, posting a 17-12 record after starting 11-17 in April.

In ninth place are the 1943 St. Louis Cardinals at 23-34, 11 GB. The Cardinals have poor hitting, with no batter hitting .300. The pitching has been good. SP Mort Cooper leads the staff at 4-6, 1.99 ERA.

The 1946 St. Louis Cardinals are in last place at 17-40, 17 GB. The pitching has been terrible, with the staff ERA ranked 104th at 5.09. The lone highlight has been LF Stan Musial (.415 avg), although three other players are hitting over .300. Musial put together a 23 game hitting streak this year and currently leads the Majors in batting average. Musial is tied for 2nd in the NL in OBP (.474) and is 4th in the NL with 86 hits.

[abell1198]

In the 1950's Division of the American League, three teams are tied atop the standings at 33-24. The first of these teams are the 1957 New York Yankees. DH Mickey Mantle (.368, 12 HR, 39 RBI) and 1B Bill Skowron (.310, 8 HR, 49 RBI) lead the hitters. Mantle is 1st in the AL in OBP (.506) and is tied for 3rd in the AL in runs scored with 53. SP Bob Turley (8-2, 3.13 ERA) leads the pitching staff. The Yankees powered through May with a record of 18-11 after starting the season 15-13. The second team at the top are the 1952 New York Yankees. The '52 team is currently 5th in the AL in runs scored with 310. DH Gene Woodling (.326) leads the team in hitting and had a 24 game hitting streak snapped on May 29. C Yogi Berra and LF Hank Bauer are both hitting .315. Bauer is tied for 4th in the AL in doubles with 23. SP Eddie Lopat (8-0, 2.81 ERA) leads the pitching staff. The '52 Yankees swept the 1971 Baltimore Orioles and 2008 Tampa Rays this month, also posting an 18-11 mark after starting the season 15-13. The third team in the mix are the preseason favorites, the 1954 Cleveland Indians, who slipped in May, posting a record of 15-14 after starting 18-10. CF Larry Doby (.301, 10 HR, 43 RBI) leads the team in hitting. SP Early Wynn (8-3, 1.79 ERA) leads a starting pitching staff ranked #1 in the AL with a combined ERA of 2.67. Overall, the entire staff ranks 6th in the AL at 3.10. This team won't scare you with their speed, as they've only stolen two bases in the first two months, ranking them last (108th) in that category.

Two teams are tied for fourth place in the division at 31-26, 2 GB. The 1955 New York Yankees are led by 2B Gil McDougald at the plate, hitting .309 so far this season. The starting pitching has been average thus far, but the bullpen has been solid, ranking 8th with a 2.83 ERA. The '55 Yanks slipped this month, posting a losing record in May at 14-15. Two players made news this month. SP Whitey Ford (4-4, 3.14 ERA) pitched a 5-0 shutout win over the 1999 New York Yankees on May 31, allowing two hits while striking out twelve and walking four. LF Elston Howard (.282, 5 HR, 29 RBI) went 5 for 6 on May 28 in a 20-1 drubbing of the 1905 Philadelphia Athletics. The other team tied for fourth place is the 1953 New York Yankees. Their lineup is led by DH Gene Woodling (.320), with solid contributions from CF Mickey Mantle (.295, 12 HR, 43 RBI) and 2B Billy Martin (.293, 10 HR, 32 RBI). SP Johnny Sain (6-2, 1.52 ERA) leads the pitching staff and is ranked 5th in the AL in ERA. The '53 squad swept the 1950 and 1998 New York Yankees this month.

In sixth place are the 1958 New York Yankees at 29-28, 4 GB. The '58 team made up some ground this month, going 18-11 after a slow start in April. The Yankees won ten straight to start the month, sweeping the 1956 New York Yankees and 2007 Boston Red Sox. RF Yogi Berra (.291, 14 HR, 51 RBI) leads the lineup, while SP Bobby Shantz (6-3, 2.26 ERA) leads the pitchers. Shantz made news on May 20 with a 5-0 win over the 1980 Kansas City Royals. Shantz allowed four hits, struck out ten and walked none.

The 1951 New York Yankees find themselves in seventh place at 28-29, 5 GB. 1B Joe Collins (.313) and RF Mickey Mantle (.304) lead the lineup. The pitching staff is below average, ranked 87th in the AL with a 4.87 ERA.

In eighth place are the 1950 New York Yankees at 24-33, 9 GB. RF Hank Bauer is the best hitter at .300. SP Whitey Ford (6-1, 3.36 ERA) is doing his best despite the team's efforts. The '50 Yankees were swept by their 1953 and 1963 counterparts this month.

Ninth place is held by the 1956 New York Yankees, who have a record of 20-37, 13 GB. LF Lou Skizas (.310) has the best average, but CF Mickey Mantle is powering the team at .271, 16 HR, 38 RBI. The starting pitching is horrible, ranking 105th with a 5.65 ERA.

In last place are the 1959 Chicago White Sox at 19-38, 14 GB. The White Sox are 105th in batting average at .232. 2B Nellie Fox leads the team in hitting at .290. The starting pitching staff has been average, led by SP Early Wynn (5-4, 2.36 ERA). The bullpen is ranked 104th with a 7.55 ERA.

In the National League, the preseason favorites are pulling away from their competition and currently have a six game lead over second place. The 1953 Brooklyn Dodgers have a record of 35-22. The Dodgers are 1st in the NL in home runs (82), 2nd in extra-base hits (209), 6th in average (.287), 4th in OBP (.359) and 5th in runs scored (314). RF Carl Furillo (.335) is one of five .300 hitters in the lineup. CF Duke Snider (.320, 19 HR, 47 RBI) is tied for 2nd in the NL in home runs and is 5th in the NL in slugging percentage (.648). 1B Gil Hodges (.299, 18 HR, 44 RBI) is tied for 4th in the NL in home runs and is 1st in the NL in runs scored (55). The pitching has been below average, ranked 84th with a 4.25 ERA. SP Carl Erskine leads the staff at 5-3, 2.64 ERA. SP Billy Loes (3-6, 6.27) made news on May 11 in an 8-0 win over the 1987 St. Louis Cardinals. Loes allowed two hits, struck out six and walked three. The Dodgers had an eight game winning streak in the second half of May, sweeping the 2005 Houston Astros and 1976 Cincinnati Reds.

Six games back in second place are the 1951 New York Giants at 29-28. SS Al Dark (.299) leads the team in hitting and is 1st in the NL in doubles with 27. SP Sal Maglie (4-2, 1.94 ERA) leads the pitching staff. Maglie made news on May 10 when he pitched a no-hitter in a 1-0 win over the 1919 Cincinnati Reds. Maglie issued a leadoff walk to start the game, which was erased by a 1-6-3 double play. He faced the minimum 27 batters, striking out four.

In third place are the 1956 Brooklyn Dodgers at 28-29, 7 GB. CF Duke Snider is the leading hitter, hitting .294, 16 HR, 50 RBI. Snider is tied for 4th in the NL for RBI. The starting pitching has been below average, ranked 98th with a 4.53 ERA. The Dodgers had a losing record this month (13-16), but ended the month winning four of their last five.

Two teams are tied for fourth place at 26-31, 9 GB. The 1954 New York Giants can hit for power, but have trouble hitting for average. The Giants are tied for 6th in the NL with 64 home runs, but are 93rd in batting average at .245. RF Don Mueller leads all hitters at .342. Mueller made news on May 17 when he went 5-5 against the 1990 Cincinnati Reds in a 6-5 win. Mueller ended the day with four singles and a double. CF Willie Mays (.288, 16 HR, 36 RBI) is hitting well for the team. Another player making news was SP Johnny Antonelli (3-5, 3.58 ERA). Antonelli threw a two hit shutout on May 19 in a 4-0 win over the 1941 Brooklyn Dodgers, striking out ten and walking one. The Giants' month started out rough, as they lost 9 of 10. They then won 8 of their next 10, but still finished the month with a losing record (13-16). The other team in the tie for fourth place is the 1955 Brooklyn Dodgers. The Dodgers are 13th in the NL in batting average (.275) and 9th in OBP (.349). C Roy Campanella (.351, 13 HR, 28 RBI) and CF Duke Snider (.342, 11 HR, 43 RBI) lead the lineup. The pitching staff has been horrible, with the starters ranked 105th with their 4.92 ERA, while the entire staff is ranked 101st. SP Billy Loes (6-1, 4.13) has somehow managed to post a good record with a poor ERA. 2B Don Zimmer was named Player of the Week on May 27. Although Zimmer's year hasn't been stellar so far (.215, 7 HR, 22 RBI), he had a great week, hitting .563, with 4 HR and 7 RBI.

The 1958 Milwaukee Braves find themselves in sixth place at 25-32, 10 GB. LF Wes Covington (.349, 14 HR, 50 RBI) leads the team in hitting, although RF Hank Aaron (.316, 11 HR, 45 RBI) is a close second. SP Bob Rush (6-5, 2.90 ERA) leads the pitching staff. SP Carl Willey (4-5, 3.38 ERA) made news on May 13 with a 12-0 win over the 1992 Atlanta Braves. Willey allowed five hits, struck out six and walked two.

In seventh place are the 1957 Milwaukee Braves at 23-34, 12 GB. The Braves are 103rd in the NL in average (.236) and OBP (.294). SP Warren Spahn (5-6, 2.66 ERA) is the team's best pitcher. Spahn made news on May 25 in a 7-0 win over the 1944 St. Louis Cardinals. Spahn allowed three hits, struck out two and walked one. The Braves managed to post a winning record in May (15-14) after their disastrous start to the season.

Two teams are tied for eighth place at 22-35, 13 GB. The first is the 1950 Philadelphia Phillies. The Phillies are led by SS Granny Hamner (.308) at the plate and SP Russ Meyer (5-3, 4.31 ERA) on the mound. The Phillies pitching staff as a whole is ranked 103rd with a 4.90 ERA. Philadelphia started May by building onto their existing three game skid at the end of April. By the time it ended, the Phillies had a nine game losing streak and sweeps at the hands of the 1978 Los Angeles Dodgers and 2000 New York Mets. The team was also swept by the 1986 New York Mets this month. The other team in this tie is the 1952 Brooklyn Dodgers. 3B Andy Pafko (.343) is doing what he can for the lineup. Pafko made news on May 11 when he went 5-5 in an 8-2 win over the 1925 Pittsburgh Pirates, ending the day with four singles and a double. The Dodger's pitching has been terrible. The starters are ranked 106th with a 4.97 ERA, while the entire staff ranks 105th with a 5.18 ERA. The defense has also been non-existent, with the team ranked 107th at .640 defensive efficiency. On a positive note, the team ended the month on a three game winning streak and a sweep of the 1972 Cincinnati Reds.

In last place are the 1959 Los Angeles Dodgers at 18-39, 17 GB. 2B Charlie Neal leads the team with a .327 average. The team as a whole, though, is ranked 105th in average (.232) and 102nd in OBP (.295). The starting pitching has been equally bad, ranking 107th with a 5.06 ERA, while the entire staff is ranked 102nd.

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In the American League 1960's Division, the 1961 New York Yankees are holding on to a slim one game lead. The Yankees finished the month with a record of 38-19. The leading hitter on the team is C Elston Howard with a .357 average, but RF Roger Maris is the power man in the lineup. Maris (.290, 23 HR, 52 RBI) is 4th in the AL in home runs, while the Yankees as a team are tied for 4th with 74. The pitching staff has done well, ranking 10th overall with a 3.30 ERA. CL Luis Arroyo (1-0, 0.36 ERA, 15 Saves) leads the bullpen, which is ranked 6th in the AL with a 2.72 ERA. Two players made news for the team this month. On May 4th, SP Bill Stafford (5-2, 2.49 ERA) pitched a one hit, 1-0 shutout against the 1992 Toronto Blue Jays. Stafford struck out five and walked one in the win. On May 30th, SP Whitey Ford (6-4, 3.48 ERA) defeated the 2006 Detroit Tigers 2-0, allowing five hits, striking out ten and walking none. The Yankees went 21-8 in May. Building on a four game winning streak at the end of April, the Yanks won their first 13 games of May for a 17 game winning streak. Victims of this streak included the 1971 Baltimore Orioles, 1992 Blue Jays, 2011 Texas Rangers and the 1990 Oakland A's.

In second place are the 1969 Baltimore Orioles at 37-20, 1 GB. The Orioles are tied with the Yankees for 4th in the AL with 74 home runs and are 7th in the AL in average at .285. 1B Boog Powell (.320, 18 HR, 47 RBI) and RF Frank Robinson (.306, 15 HR, 37 RBI) lead the charge for the Orioles. The starters are performing well as a unit, ranking 15th in the AL with a 3.48 ERA. The team went 20-8 in May, sweeping the 1977 New York Yankees and 2009 Detroit Tigers.

Third place is held by the 1963 New York Yankees at 33-24, 5 GB. The Yankees are tied for 7th in the AL in home runs with 70. The leading hitters for the team are 1B Joe Pepitone (.317, 13 HR, 35 RBI), RF Roger Maris (.263, 14 HR, 37 RBI) and CF Mickey Mantle (.272, 11 HR, 35 RBI). The pitching has been average, posting a 4.15 ERA. The Yankees fell off the pace in May, going 15-14. They won the first four games of the month, sweeping the 1953 New York Yankees in the process. But the team lost five of the next six series before sweeping the 1950 New York Yankees.

The 1960 New York Yankees find themselves in fourth place at 32-25, 6 GB. The Yankees have no .300 hitters and SP Bill Stafford (6-1, 2.58 ERA) is doing what he can to keep the team competitive. The Yanks went 16-13 in May and swept the 1931 Philadelphia Athletics.

The 1962 New York Yankees are in fifth place at 27-30, 11 GB. The Yankees, like their 1960 counterparts, have no .300 hitters. RF Roger Maris is hitting .259 with 16 HR and 47 RBI. SP Ralph Terry is pitching well at 6-3, 3.49 ERA. The Yankees managed a 17-12 record in May and are still trying to dig themselves out of the hole they found themselves in after a lackluster April.

In sixth place are the 1968 Detroit Tigers at 24-33, 14 GB. DH Willie Horton is having a great season so far, hitting .362 with 25 HR and 60 RBI. Horton is tied for 3rd in the AL in RBI. Horton was also named AL Player of the Week on May 27 after hitting .565 (13 for 23) with 5 HR and 11 RBI. SP Earl Wilson (6-4, 3.32 ERA) is doing what he can, but the starters are ranked 91st in the AL with a 5.04 ERA. The Tigers ended the month on a five game losing streak and were swept by the 1939 New York Yankees.

There is a three way tie for seventh place at 23-34, 15 GB. The first team in the tie is the 1965 Minnesota Twins. The Twins leading hitters are C Earl Battey (.307), CF Jimmie Hall (.307) and RF Tony Oliva (.306), although 1B Don Mincher (.286, 16 HR, 49 RBI) is their best overall bat. The starting rotation has failed the team and is ranked 100th in the AL with a 5.42 ERA. The second team in the tie is the 1967 Boston Red Sox. The Red Sox are led by LF Carl Yastrzemski (.308, 19 HR, 42 RBI) and DH Tony Horton (.309, 8 HR, 26 RBI). Pitching and defense are lacking. The pitching staff is ranked 99th in the AL with a 5.17 ERA, while the defensive efficiency is 106th in the AL at .638. The third team is the 1966 Baltimore Orioles. The Orioles best hitter is 1B Boog Powell (.299, 15 HR, 37 RBI) and the pitching for the team has been average.

In last place are the 1964 New York Yankees at 22-35, 16 GB. C Elston Howard and 2B Bobby Richardson are both hitting .335. SP Whitey Ford leads the pitchers at 6-4, 2.82 ERA. Ford made league news on May 14 when he shut out the 2011 Texas Rangers in a 6-0 win. Ford allowed three hits, struck out seven and walked one. Also making news for the Yankees was RF Hector Lopez (.257, 9 HR, 33 RBI). On May 6, Lopez went 4-4 with 3 HR and 5 RBI in an 8-7 loss to the 1971 Baltimore Orioles.

Leading the National League 1960's Division are the 1969 New York Mets at 38-19. LF Cleon Jones leads the team with a .345 average. But pitching is the strong point for the team. The pitching staff is ranked #1 overall in the NL with a 2.67 ERA. The starters are ranked 3rd at 2.72, while the pen comes in at 4th with a 2.47. SP Jerry Koosman (7-3, 2.55 ERA) and SP Tom Seaver (6-3, 2.24 ERA) lead the way. Koosman made league news on May 3 when he shutout the 2006 St. Louis Cardinals 1-0, allowing four hits, striking out 11 and walking two. SP Gary Gentry (4-4, 2.95 ERA) made news on May 1 with his 5-0 shutout win over the 1996 Atlanta Braves. Gentry allowed five hits, struck out seven and walked one. On May 27, C Jerry Grote (.293, 1 HR, 21 RBI) went 5-5 with four singles and a double in a 12-5 win over the 1953 Brooklyn Dodgers. The Mets went 19-10 in May, sweeping the 2006 Cardinals and 2001 Arizona Diamondbacks.

Two teams are tied for second place at 35-22, 3 GB. The first team we'll look at is the 1962 San Francisco Giants. The Giants are 2nd in the NL in runs scored (317) and HR (72). 2B Chuck Hiller is hitting .300, while CF Willie Mays (.290, 16 HR, 46 RBI) and 1B Orlando Cepeda (.278, 14 HR, 46 RBI) are solid contributors. SP Jack Sanford leads the pitchers with a 6-1 record and 2.43 ERA. SP Billy O'Dell (4-4, 3.09 ERA) made news on May 14 with an 8-0 win over the 1964 St. Louis Cardinals. O'Dell allowed three hits, struck out eight and walked none. The Giants went 20-9 in May, helped by a ten game winning streak in the middle of the month. The second team in the tie is the 1966 Los Angeles Dodgers. 2B Jim Lefebvre leads the hitters with a .330 batting average, but pitching is this team's strong suit. SP Claude Osteen (5-1, 1.70 ERA), SP Don Drysdale (6-1, 2.80 ERA) and SP Sandy Koufax (3-4, 2.53 ERA) lead a pitching staff ranked 7th in the NL with a combined ERA of 3.02. The staff is also ranked 2nd in the NL in HR's allowed with 19. The Dodgers were 18-11 in May, helped by sweeps of the 1963 Los Angeles Dodgers, 2012 San Francisco Giants and 1975 Cincinnati Reds. Currently though, the Dodgers are on a three game skid after being swept by the 1973 New York Mets.

Two teams find themselves tied for fourth place in the division at 34-23, 4 GB. The first team is the 1965 Los Angeles Dodgers. LF Lou B Johnson leads all hitters with his .347 batting average, while SS Maury Wills (.319, 0 HR, 10 RBI) is tied for the Major League lead in stolen bases with 32. SP Sandy Koufax (4-4, 1.75 ERA) and SP Don Drysdale (6-3, 2.63 ERA) lead a pitching staff ranked 6th in the NL with an ERA of 2.94. CL Bob L Miller (2-1, 1.06 ERA, 16 Saves) leads a bullpen ranked 2nd in the NL with a 2.22 ERA. The '65 Dodgers are also 2nd in the NL in Defensive Efficiency (.731). The Dodgers only managed a 15-14 record in May, sweeping the 1907 Chicago Cubs and 1967 St. Louis Cardinals during a six game winning streak in the middle of the month. The second team in the tie is the 1963 Los Angeles Dodgers. RF Frank Howard leads the team in hitting at .295, 13 HR, 30 RBI. SP Sandy Koufax (8-3, 1.70 ERA) leads a starting staff ranked 1st in the NL with a 2.66 ERA, while the entire pitching staff ranks 9th in the NL at 3.06. Koufax is 5th in the NL with 114 strikeouts.

In sixth place are the 1967 St. Louis Cardinals at 29-28, 9 GB. CF Curt Flood (.351) leads the team in hitting while SP Bob Gibson (5-4, 2.21 ERA) leads the way for the pitchers. C Tim McCarver (.283, 4 HR, 20 RBI) made news for the team on May 6 when he went 5-5 with three singles and two doubles in a 7-2 win over the 1951 New York Giants. The Cardinals suffered an 11-18 record in May after a promising start in April. A ten game losing streak sealed the Cardinals fate for the month, as they were swept by the 1912 New York Giants and 1965 Los Angeles Dodgers.

The 1968 St. Louis Cardinals hold down seventh place at 24-33, 14 GB. The Cardinals are tied for 104th in the NL in home runs (14), 108th in the NL in runs scored (152) and 101st in the NL in OBP (.295). 3B Mike Shannon leads the team with a .307 average, while LF Lou Brock (.264, 0 HR, 14 RBI) is tied for 4th in the NL in triples with six. SP Steve Carlton (5-2, 3.12 ERA) and SP Ray Washburn (5-5, 2.39 ERA) lead the pitching staff. Washburn made news on May 26 with a 1-0 win over the 1934 St. Louis Cardinals where he allowed five hits, struck out seven and walked none.

Two teams are tied for eighth place in the division at 22-35, 16 GB. The first team is the 1960 Pittsburgh Pirates, who are 103rd in the NL in runs scored with 183. SS Dick Groat is hitting .367, while SP Vinegar Bend Mizell is 5-3 with a 1.88 ERA. Mizell made news on May 21 with a 13-0 win over the 1945 Chicago Cubs, where he allowed six hits, struck out five and walked four. SP Vern Law (3-6, 4.32 ERA) also made news on May 12 with a 4-0 win over the 1979 Pittsburgh Pirates in which he allowed six hits, struck out seven and walked one. The second team in the tie is the 1961 Cincinnati Reds. The Reds are tied for 101st in the NL in runs against (286) and their starting pitching is ranked 104th in the NL with an ERA of 4.81. CF Vada Pinson (.345, 6 HR, 23 RBI) leads the team in average, while RF Wally Post (.305, 16 HR, 42 RBI) is providing the power. LF Frank Robinson (.285, 7 HR, 23 RBI) made news on May 2 when he hit for the cycle, going 5-5 in an 11-7 loss to the 1967 Cardinals. The Reds are currently suffering through a ten game losing streak, having been swept by the 1917 New York Giants, 1995 Atlanta Braves and 1988 Los Angeles Dodgers.

In last place are the 1964 St. Louis Cardinals at 21-36, 17 GB. The Cardinals are 102nd in the NL in runs scored with 185. C Tim McCarver leads the team with his .324 average. The pitching has been below average thus far. LF Lou Brock (.273, 4 HR, 21 RBI) made news on back to back days. On May 24, Brock went 5-7 with two singles, two doubles and a home run in an 8-7 win over the 1952 Brooklyn Dodgers. The next day, May 25, he tortured the Dodgers again, going 5-6 with three singles, a double and a home run in a 16-5 win. The Cardinals lost eight in a row in the middle of the month while being swept by the 1980 Philadelphia Phillies and 1962 San Francisco Giants. The Cards are currently on a three game winning streak, as they ended the month by sweeping the 1923 New York Giants.

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Five teams are within two games of each other after two months in the American League's 1970's Division. Two teams are tied for the lead at 33-24, both of which were predicted to finish around .500. The first is the 1974 Oakland A's. LF Claudell Washington (.294 avg.) and RF Reggie Jackson (.288, 17 HR, 39 RBI) lead the way for the lineup. SP Glenn Abbott (7-1, 2.21 ERA) is the team's ace, while CL Rollie Fingers (1-1, 1.67 ERA, 13 Saves) closes the door on opponents. After posting a .500 record in April, the A's broke out in May, going 19-10 while sweeping the 2005 Chicago White Sox and 1997 Cleveland Indians. The second team tied for the division lead is the 1971 Baltimore Orioles. The Orioles are led by 3B Brooks Robinson, who is hitting .306. SP Jim Palmer (8-4, 2.52 ERA) leads the starting pitching staff. Palmer made news on May 31st when he pitched a one hit shutout over the 1912 Boston Red Sox in a 6-0 win. Palmer struck out nine and walked one in the game. CL Eddie Watt (2-3, 3.75 ERA) is tied for 2nd in the AL with 19 saves.

In third place are the 1979 Baltimore Orioles at 32-25, 1 GB. The '79 Orioles are tied for 7th in the AL with 70 home runs. RF Ken Singleton leads the hitters with a .302 average. SP Dennis Martinez (7-3, 2.27 ERA) leads the pitchers. The Orioles suffered through a 13-16 May after starting 19-9 and lost five in a row near the end of the month, highlighted (or lowlighted) by a sweep at the hands of the 2011 Texas Rangers.

Two teams are tied for fourth place at 31-26, 2 GB. The first is the preseason favorites, the 1972 Oakland A's. 1B Mike Epstein (.292, 12 HR, 36 RBI) and CF Reggie Jackson (.278, 12 HR, 37 RBI) lead the lineup. The pitching staff is led by SP Catfish Hunter (5-2, 3.63 ERA) and SP Vida Blue (8-2, 5.63 ERA). The A's played hot and cold during May, winning seven in a row with sweeps of the 1968 Detroit Tigers and 1955 New York Yankees, then following up with a six game losing streak while being swept by the 1971 Baltimore Orioles. The second team in this tie is the 1970 Baltimore Orioles. The '70 Orioles were also hot and cold in May. They won eight straight early in the month, sweeping the 1991 Minnesota Twins and 2012 Detroit Tigers, then lost six straight while being swept by the 1955 New York Yankees. 1B Boog Powell (.360, 17 HR, 60 RBI) leads the team in hitting and is one of three .300 hitters in the lineup. Powell is also tied for 3rd in the AL in RBI. SP Dave McNally (6-3, 3.86 ERA) and SP Jim Palmer (5-6, 2.21 ERA) lead the pitching staff. Palmer pitched a shutout on May 25th over the 1971 Baltimore Orioles, allowing five hits, while striking out seven and walking two. SP Mike Cuellar (4-6, 4.76 ERA) also made news on May 10th with his 4-0 shutout win over the 2012 Detroit Tigers. Cuellar allowed five hits, struck out six and walked two in the game.

The 1973 Oakland A's find themselves in sixth place at 29-28, 4 GB. The '73 A's have no .300 hitters and are ranked 108th in the AL in runs scored (171) and batting average (.224). The A's are also ranked 106th in OBP (.296). So, how is this team even competing? Good pitching. The entire staff is ranked 4th in the AL with a 3.07 ERA, led by SP Dave Hamilton (8-3, 2.70 ERA) and CL Rollie Fingers (0-1, 0.30 ERA, 15 saves).

In seventh place are the 1978 New York Yankees at 27-30, 6 GB. The Yankees have no .300 hitters in their lineup and their pitching ace thus far has been SP Dick Tidrow (8-2, 2.11 ERA). C Thurmon Munson (.257, 3 HR, 19 RBI) made news on May 7th when he went 5 for 6 in an 11-7 win over the 1921 Yankees. Munson finished the game with three singles and two doubles. SP Ron Guidry (3-8, 4.02 ERA) also made news on May 25th with a 13-0 shutout win over the 1962 Yankees. Guidry allowed only one hit, struck out 14 and walked one. The Yankees suffered through two 4 game losing streaks and a five game losing streak in May.

The 1975 Boston Red Sox are in eighth place at 25-32, 8 GB. The Red Sox are led at the plate by RF Dwight Evans (.332, 7 HR, 36 RBI) and DH Jim Rice (.324, 15 HR, 39 RBI). Their pitching, however, is ranked 103rd in the AL with a 5.52 ERA.

Two teams are tied for last place in the division at 24-33, 9 GB. The first team is the 1977 New York Yankees. CF Mickey Rivers leads the hitters with his .324 average. SP Ron Guidry (6-5, 2.40 ERA) is the team's best pitcher. The '77 Yankees suffered through two 5 game losing streaks in May and were swept by the 2004 Boston Red Sox and 1969 Baltimore Orioles. The second team is the 1978 New York Yankees. DH Lou Piniella leads the team with his .310 batting average. The '78 Yankees lost eleven in a row in the first half of May and were swept by the 1995 and 1997 Cleveland Indians, as well as the 1911 Philadelphia Athletics.

In the National League, the preseason favorites lead the division at 39-18. The 1975 Cincinnati Reds are an offensive machine. They are 1st in the NL in runs scored (321), 4th in the NL in hits (578), 5th in the NL in batting average (.289) and OBP (.358) and 8th in home runs (61). SS Dave Conception (.344 avg.) is one of four .300 hitters in the lineup. C Johnny Bench (.309, 13 HR, 50 RBI) is tied for 4th in the NL in RBI. SP Gary Nolan (9-1, 2.51 ERA) is tied for 1st in the Majors in wins. SP Tom M Carroll (5-1, 2.95 ERA) made news on May 2nd with a 7-0 shutout win over the 1985 St. Louis Cardinals. Carroll allowed five hits, struck out three and walked one.

In second place are the 1978 Los Angeles Dodgers at 37-20, 2 GB. The Dodgers are powered by three players in their lineup: 1B Steve Garvey (.332, 11 HR, 43 RBI), RF Reggie Smith (.301, 15 HR, 47 RBI) and CF Rick Monday (.249, 15 HR, 47 RBI). The pitching staff has been strong as well. SP Don Sutton (8-2, 2.89 ERA) and SP Burt Hooton (8-4, 3.08 ERA) are dominating opponents, as is SP Tommy John (4-3, 1.82 ERA). Hooton made news on May 31st in a 15-0 win over the 1925 Pittsburgh Pirates. Hooton allowed one hit, struck out two and walked two. Slamming the door in the bullpen is CL Terry Forster (0-0, 0.00 ERA, 18 saves). Forster is tied for 4th in the NL in saves. The Dodgers started the month of May by building on their three game winning streak at the end of April by winning their first five games. Los Angeles swept the 1950 Philadelphia Phillies and 1958 Milwaukee Braves during the streak. The Dodgers also finished the month on a winning streak, winning their last five games, sweeping the 1925 Pittsburgh Pirates.

The 1976 Cincinnati Reds hold down third place at 35-22, 4 GB. The '76 Reds are ranked 3rd in the NL in OBP (.360), 7th in the NL in runs scored (298) and 8th in the NL in average (.285). The '76 Big Red Machine is led by four hitters: RF Ken Griffey, Sr. (.346, 0 HR, 23 RBI), 3B Pete Rose, Sr. (.324, 4 HR, 24 RBI), 2B Joe Morgan (.325, 8 HR, 31 RBI) and LF George Foster (.332, 14 HR, 49 RBI). Morgan is 4th in the NL in OBP at .467. Foster made news on May 7th when he went 5 for 5 with four singles and a home run in a 10-1 win over the 1915 Philadelphia Phillies. SP Pat Zachary (4-1, 2.47 ERA) leads the pitching staff.

Two teams are tied for fourth place at 34-23, 5 GB. The first team is the 1979 Pittsburgh Pirates. RF Dave Parker leads the lineup with a .311 batting average. Pitching is this team's strong suit, however. The pitching staff is ranked 4th in the NL with a 2.89 ERA. SP Bruce Kison (7-5, 1.75 ERA) and SP Jim Bibby (5-4, 1.84 ERA) lead the starting staff. The '79 Pirates ended May on a seven game winning streak. CF Omar Moreno (.270, 1 HR, 10 RBI) is 4th in the NL in stolen bases with 24. The second team is the 1971 Pittsburgh Pirates. The '71 Pirates are the opposite of their '79 counterparts, with good hitting, but below average pitching and poor defense. The '71 squad is ranked 1st in the NL in batting average (.309), 2nd in the NL in OBP (.361), tied for 3rd in the NL in home runs (70) and 4th in the NL in runs scored (315). The team is led by RF Roberto Clemente (.399 avg.), who is one of six .300 hitters in the lineup. Clemente leads the Majors in hits (99) and is 2nd in the NL in average. LF Willie Stargell (.298, 29 HR, 58 RBI) continues to power the Pirates and is ranked 1st in the NL in Slugging (.758) and RBI, and leads the Majors in home runs. 3B Richie Hebner (.335, 14 HR, 43 RBI) was named NL Player of the Week on May 6th after going 14 of 25 at the plate, hitting three home runs and knocking in 13 RBI. Hebner is also ranked 3rd in the NL in Sluggling (.670). On the same date Hebner earned honors, C Manny Sanguillen (.350, 2 HR, 25 RBI) and Clemente made news during a 16-7 win over the 1950 Philadelphia Phillies. Sanguillen was 5 for 5 in the game, while Clemente was 5 for 6. The Pirates finished the month on a five game winning streak, sweeping the 1954 New York Giants in the process.

In sixth place at 29-28, 10 GB, are the 1972 Cincinnati Reds. 2B Joe Morgan (.312 avg.) and CF Bobby Tolan (.310 avg.) are hitting well for the team, but the Reds are 99th in the NL in runs scored (187). Fortunately for the team, the pitching staff is ranked 10th in the NL with a 3.16 ERA. SP Ross Grimsley, Jr. (6-3, 3.26 ERA) and SP Jim McGlothlin (5-2, 2.18 ERA) lead the starters, while CL Pedro Borbon (0-4, 3.04 ERA, 18 Saves) is tied for 4th in the NL in saves. The Reds ended the month on a four game winning streak after sweeping the 1952 Brooklyn Dodgers.

Two teams find themselves tied for seventh place at 27-30, 12 GB. The first team is the 1974 Los Angeles Dodgers. The Dodgers are underachieving so far, as they were predicted to challenge for the division title. RF Willie Crawford (.333 avg.) and SS Bill Russell (.322 avg.) lead the hitters, while SP Don Sutton (8-2, 2.99 ERA) leads the pitchers. Two other pitchers made news in May. SP Doug Rau (2-5, 3.87 ERA) pitched a 5-0 shutout win over the 1993 Philadelphia Phillies on May 12th. Rau allowed two hits, struck out five and walked two. SP Tommy John (3-5, 3.43 ERA) threw a 4-0 shutout win over the 1983 Philadelphia Phillies on May 20th. John allowed five hits, struck out six and walked none. The second team in the tie are the 1970 Cincinnati Reds. LF Bernie Carbo (.314 avg.) leads the team in hitting, while SP Wayne Simpson (6-4, 2.92 ERA) leads the pitchers. The Reds won only three series this month.

In ninth place are the 1977 Los Angeles Dodgers at 26-31, 13 GB. The Dodgers have no .300 hitters and are ranked 108th in the NL in batting average (.220), 106th in the NL in OBP (.291) and 107th in the NL in Slugging (.325). SP Burt Hooton (6-4, 1.94 ERA) leads the pitching staff. The Dodgers are great at home, sporting a 17-10 record. Unfortunately, they're 9-21 on the road.

The 1973 New York Mets are sitting in the cellar at 24-33, 15 GB. The Mets have no .300 hitters and have stolen only three bases in the first two months of the season. SP Jerry Koosman (4-3, 1.93 ERA) leads the pitching staff. The Mets have been streaky. They lost their first five games of May, won three, then lost four. The end of the month was no different, as they lost three straight before winning their last three games.

[abell1198]

The American League 1980's Division is led by the 1988 Oakland A's at 36-21. The A's are 10th in the AL in runs scored (301) and 1st in the AL in home runs (77). The team's hitting leader is RF Jose Canseco (.321, 24 HR, 47 RBI). Canseco is currently 3rd in the AL in homers. SP Dave Stewart (7-3, 2.93 ERA) and SP Storm Davis (6-2, 2.73 ERA) lead the team's starting staff, while CL Dennis Eckersley (5-0, 1.63 ERA, 14 Saves) is leading the bullpen. Stewart made news in May with back to back shutouts. On May 14, Stewart pitched a one hitter against the 1926 New York Yankees, striking out 11 and walking two in a 1-0 win. On May 19, Stewart pitched a 4-0 win over the 1922 New York Yankees, allowing four hits while striking out 10 and walking one. CF Dave Henderson (.275, 9 HR, 33 RBI) also made news on May 29 when he went 5 for 5 in an 11-9 win over the 1991 Minnesota Twins. Henderson had four singles and a double in the game.

In second place are the 1986 Boston Red Sox at 34-23, 2 GB. The Red Sox are 3rd in the AL in runs scored with 315. 3B Wade Boggs is the leading hitter with a .335 batting average. SP Bruce Hurst (7-4, 2.80 ERA) and SP Roger Clemens (7-4, 3.54 ERA) head up the pitching staff. The Red Sox went 17-12 in May and kept pace with the division leading A's. 2B Marty Barrett (.324, 1 HR, 22 RBI) made news for the team on May 29 when he went 5 for 5 against the 2009 New York Yankees. Unfortunately, the Yankees won the game 20-10. Barrett hit three singles and two doubles in the contest. Notable series for the month include sweeps of the 1998 New York Yankees and 2007 Boston Red Sox, while the team was swept by the 1978 New York Yankees.

The preseason favorites to win the division, the 1989 Oakland A's, find themselves in third place and 4 GB with a 32-25 record. The A's have no .300 hitters, with LF Luis Polonia hitting .296 to lead the team. SP Dave Stewart (6-4, 2.79 ERA) and SP Mike Moore (5-4, 2.66 ERA) lead the starters. The bullpen is ranked 10th in the AL with their 3.02 ERA, while the A's defense is also ranked 10th in the AL. The A's fell another game behind this month, posting a 16-13 record in May. Oakland managed sweeps of the 1936 and 2000 New York Yankees, while being swept by the 1922 Yankees.

In fourth place are the 1981 New York Yankees at 30-27, 6 GB. LF Dave Winfield (.309) and 2B Willie Randolph (.303) lead the hitters, while SP Rick Reuschel (8-4, 3.30 ERA) heads up the pitching staff. The Yankees dropped four games off the pace this month with a 13-16 record. A seven game losing streak in the middle of the month helped secure the losing record. The Yankees were swept by the 1957 Yankees and 1935 Detroit Tigers in that span. The Yankees currently have a four game winning streak, sweeping the 2002 Anaheim Angels in the process.

The 1984 Detroit Tigers are in fifth place at 25-32, 11 GB. The Tigers are 101st in the AL in hitting with a .239 average. There are no .300 hitters, although C Lance Parrish (.298, 12 HR, 33 RBI) is almost there. SP Jack Morris (3-5, 4.50 ERA) made news on May 21 when he threw a 4-0 shutout win over the 1989 Oakland A's. Morris allowed two hits, struck out six and walked two.

In sixth place are the 1985 Kansas City Royals at 24-33, 12 GB. The Royals are tied for 100th in the AL in runs scored (208), 98th in the AL in average (.242) and 104th in the AL in OBP (.300). 3B George Brett (.304, 7 HR, 39 RBI) and CF Willie Wilson (.300) are doing their best to keep the team contending. SP Charlie Leibrandt (8-1, 3.10 ERA) and SP Bret Saberhagen (2-6, 2.18 ERA) are the Royals best pitchers. The Royals are trying to turn things around after their slow start in April. The team went 15-14 in May and suffered a six game losing streak to start the month. The Royals are currently on a six game winning streak, however, after sweeps of the 2011 Texas Rangers and 1990 Oakland A's.

Four teams are tied for last place in the division with a record of 23-34, 13 GB. The first team is the 1987 Minnesota Twins. CF Kirby Puckett is hitting .309 and was named AL Player of the Week on May 6 after going 20 for 31 (.645) with three home runs and eight runs batted in. SP Frank Viola (4-5, 3.18 ERA) leads a starting staff ranked last (108th) in the AL with a 6.05 ERA. Viola made news on May 8 with an 8-0 win over the 1952 New York Yankees when he allowed six hits, struck out 11 and walked one. The bullpen isn't much better, ranked 93rd in the AL with a 5.51 ERA. CL Juan Berenguer (2-0, 1.66 ERA, 15 Saves) has looked good, though. The Twins have allowed the most runs in the AL (347) and their defense is 105th in the AL. The Twins currently have a four game winning streak going after sweeping the 1905 Philadelphia Athletics. The second team in the basement is the 1982 Milwaukee Brewers. DH Paul Molitor (.338) and 2B Jim Gantner (.332) lead the team in hitting, while SP Don Sutton (4-5, 3.63 ERA) is tops in the pitching staff. The third team is the 1980 Kansas City Royals. The Royals are led by 3B George Brett (.400, 11 HR, 61 RBI). Brett is 1st in the AL in average, 2nd in RBI and 2nd in hits (90). Brett made news for the team on May 28 when he went 5 for 6 in a 13-10 win over the 1975 Boston Red Sox. Brett hit a single, a double and three home runs in the game. Two homers were solo shots and the other was a grand slam, netting him seven RBI. LF Willie Wilson (.320) is tied for 2nd in the AL in stolen bases with 22. The starting pitching for the team is 98th in the AL with a 5.33 ERA. The Royals lost their first five games of the month for a seven game losing streak, but then won their next five series. They won two of the last four series in May, but the lost series were sweeps at the hands of the 1910 Philadelphia Athletics and 1921 New York Yankees. Finally, we come to the 1983 Baltimore Orioles. Baltimore's best hitter is CF Al Bumbry (.301). SP Mike Boddicker (3-6, 2.29 ERA) leads a below average pitching staff. The Orioles lost their last three series of May.

In the National League, the preseason favorites still have the lead. The 1986 New York Mets maintained their lead with a record of 35-22. SS Kevin Mitchell (.326, 11 HR, 44 RBI) is one of four .300 hitters in the lineup. SP Ron Darling (7-1, 1.57 ERA), SP Sid Fernandez (6-1, 3.87 ERA), SP Dwight Gooden (4-3, 2.88 ERA) and SP Bob Ojeda (2-4, 2.40 ERA) are all forces to be reckoned with. CF Lenny Dykstra (.308, 1 HR, 22 RBI) is tied for 4th in the NL in triples with six. Dykstra also made news on May 14 without hitting a triple in an 8-6 win over the 2007 Colorado Rockies. Dykstra went 5 for 5 with three singles and two doubles in the game. The Mets swept the 1939 Cincinnati Reds and 1950 Philadelphia Phillies, but were swept by the 1995 Atlanta Braves and 1910 Chicago Cubs.

In second place are the 1988 Los Angeles Dodgers at 33-24, 2 GB. The Dodgers have no .300 hitters, but 1B Pedro Guerrero (.297) and 2B Steve Sax (.292) are knocking on the door. Pitching is this teams strength, as the staff is ranked 3rd in the NL with a 2.86 ERA. SP Orel Hershiser (6-2, 1.49 ERA) is 3rd in the NL in ERA. CL Jay Howell (4-2, 2.43 ERA, 18 Saves) is tied for 4th in the NL in saves. The Dodgers swept the 1984 San Diego Padres and 1961 Cincinnati Reds this month, but suffered a sweep at the hands of the 1955 Brooklyn Dodgers.

The 1985 St. Louis Cardinals are in third place in the division at 31-26, 4 GB. The Cardinals are definitely playing small ball, as they are 3rd in the NL in stolen bases with 95. CF Willie McGee (.341) is 3rd in the NL in triples with seven. 2B Tom Herr (.333) had a 21 game hitting streak snapped on May 17. SP John Tudor (6-4, 1.91 ERA) and SP Danny Cox (7-3, 2.59 ERA) lead the pitching staff. Cox made news for the Cards on May 31 with a 1-0 win over the 1967 St. Louis Cardinals. Cox allowed five hits, struck out eight and walked one. The Cardinals posted a record of 19-10 in May and made up two games on the division leader. The Cards had sweeps this month of the 1933 New York Giants, 1914 Boston Braves, 1938 Chicago Cubs and 1973 New York Mets.

In fourth place are the 1980 Philadelphia Phillies at 28-29, 7 GB. LF Lonnie Smith leads the lineup with his .314 average, but the team is suffering with 3B Mike Schmidt hitting .177. SP Steve Carlton (3-5, 2.74 ERA) is the team's best pitcher. Carlton is 2nd in the NL in strikeouts with 121. Carlton made news for the team on May 25 with a 5-3 win over the 1996 Atlanta Braves. Carlton allowed five hits, struck out 17 and walked four. The Phillies managed to put together an eight game winning streak in the middle of May with sweeps of the 1964 St. Louis Cardinals and 2009 Phillies.

Two teams are tied for fifth place in the division at 26-31, 9 GB. The first is the 1982 St. Louis Cardinals. LF Lonnie Smith (.319) leads the team in hitting, while SP Joaquin Andujar (6-4, 2.87 ERA) leads the pitching staff. The second team is the 1989 San Francisco Giants. C Terry Kennedy (.295) has the team's best batting average, while 1B Will Clark (.290) is a close second. The pitching for the Giants has been average thus far this season. SP Scott Garrelts (5-6, 3.89 ERA) made news on May 19 with a 3-0 win over the 2007 Colorado Rockies. Garrelts allowed three hits, struck out six and walked two in the game.

In seventh place are the 1987 St. Louis Cardinals at 24-33, 11 GB. CF Willie McGee (.323) is the team's best hitter and is tied for 1st in the NL in doubles with 27. McGee also made news on May 5 when he went 6 for 6 in a 7-6 loss to the 1993 Philadelphia Phillies. McGee hit two singles, three doubles and a triple in the loss. The Cardinal's pitching has been below average. Their defense is ranked 101st in the NL.

The 1984 San Diego Padres find themselves in eighth place at 22-35, 13 GB. RF Tony Gwynn (.313) and C Terry Kennedy (.311) lead the lineup in hitting. The Padres starting pitching has been below average. CF Kevin McReynolds (.214, 6 HR, 23 RBI) made news for the team on May 11 when he went 5 for 5 in a 5-2 win over the 1939 Cincinnati Reds. McReynolds had four singles and a double in the contest.

The 1981 Los Angeles Dodgers are 20-37, 15 GB and are in ninth place. RF Pedro Guerrero (.290) is the team's leading hitter, while SP Fernando Valenzuela (6-4, 3.12 ERA) leads the pitchers. The Dodgers suffered through an 8-21 month to drop nine games further back of the division lead.

In last place in the division are the 1983 Philadelphia Phillies at 18-39, 17 GB. The Phillies have no .300 hitters and are ranked 106th in the NL in batting average at .231. SP Steve Carlton (2-4, 2.43 ERA) is the only starter holding his own on the staff. Strangely enough, the Phillies have the 6th ranked bullpen with a 2.63 ERA. Maybe if they start hitting, they could win a few games behind that bullpen.

[abell1198]

The 1990's Division races are still a bit upside down, as neither preseason favorite leads their division after two months and 57 games. In the American League, the team to beat right now is the 1995 Cleveland Indians at 39-18. The Indians were 21-8 in the month of May and no one else could keep up. The '95 Indians are 1st in the AL in hits (607), Slg. Pct. (.483) and batting average (.297). The Tribe is 2nd in the AL in runs scored (342) and home runs (76). Cleveland also ranks 9th in the AL in OBP (.363). 3B Jim Thome (.363) is the best hitter on the team so far, but four others in the lineup are hitting .300 or higher. One of them is 2B Carlos Baerga (.357, 13 HR, 44 RBI). Baerga was named AL Player of the Week on May 13 after going 11 for 20 with five homers and 13 RBI in five games. Another is CF Kenny Lofton (.323, 2 HR, 29 RBI). Lofton is 1st in the Majors in triples with 11. The Indian's pitching is led by SP Ken Hill (6-1, 2.79 ERA), SP Dennis Martinez (7-3, 2.82 ERA) and CL Jose Mesa (0-0, 1.19 ERA, 19 Saves). Hill made news on May 6 with a 10-0 shutout win over the 1976 New York Yankees. Hill allowed five hits, struck out five and walked none. Martinez made news on May 10 with a 10-0 win over the 1934 Detroit Tigers. Martinez allowed four hits, struck out four and walked two. Mesa is currently tied for 2nd in the AL in saves. Notable wins for the 1995 Indians are sweeps of the 1928 New York Yankees, 1976 New York Yankees, 1934 Detroit Tigers, 2002 Anaheim Angels and 2001 New York Yankees.

In second place are the 1999 New York Yankees at 35-22, 4 GB. The Yankees have no .300 hitters, but SS Derek Jeter and CF Bernie Williams are both hitting .294. SP Roger Clemens (6-2, 2.77 ERA) leads the starters, while CL Mariano Rivera (0-0, 1.96 ERA, 17 Saves) leads the bullpen. Rivera is is tied for 4th in the AL in saves. SP Andy Pettitte (6-5, 3.02 ERA) made news for the team on May 13 with a 9-0 win over the 2000 Yankees. Pettitte allowed five hits, struck out ten and walked three.

The 1997 Cleveland Indians are in third place at 31-26, 8 GB. The '97 Tribe are 4th in the AL in runs scored with 312 and are led by RF Manny Ramirez (.310 avg.) at the plate. The starting pitching is ranked 102nd in the AL with a 5.56 ERA. On a high note, SP Jared Wright (4-5, 4.24 ERA) made news for Cleveland on May 16 with a 7-0 win over the 2002 Anaheim Angels. Wright allowed six hits, struck out four and walked two.

In fourth place are the 1993 Toronto Blue Jays at 30-27, 9 GB. The Jays are 102nd in Defensive Efficiency (.655) and their starting pitching is ranked 99th in the AL with a 5.36 ERA. 1B John Olerud (.333 avg.) leads the team in hitting and had a twenty game hit streak end on May 25.

Two Yankees teams are tied for fifth place at 27-30, 12 GB. The first team is the 1998 New York Yankees. 1B Tino Martinez (.351 avg.) is one of three .300 hitters in the lineup. SP Andy Pettitte (5-3, 3.97 ERA) leads the starting pitching staff, which is ranked 90th in the AL with a 5.04 ERA. The '98 Yanks are streaky, sweeping the 1945 Detroit Tigers and 1959 Chicago White Sox, but then were swept by the 1986 Boston Red Sox and 1962 Yankees. The team is currently in a six game skid after being swept by the 1965 Minnesota Twins and the 1953 Yankees. The second team in the tie is the 1996 New York Yankees. The '96 squad has similar problems as the '98 team; good hitting, but no pitching. The '96 Yanks are led by 2B Mariano Duncan (.317 avg.), who is one of three .300 hitters on the team. The starting pitching staff is ranked 96th in the AL with a 5.26 ERA.

In seventh place are the preseason favorites, the 1990 Oakland A's, at 26-31, 13 GB. This team lacks offense, plain and simple. The A's are ranked 105th in the AL in runs scored (197), 107th in batting average (.225) and 103rd in slugging percentage (.302). To emphasize just how bad this team is hitting, RF Jose Canseco LEADS the team in hitting with a .247 batting average!!! SP Bob Welch (5-4, 2.38 ERA) leads the pitchers.

The 1992 Toronto Blue Jays are in eighth place with a record of 24-33, 15 GB. 2B Roberto Alomar (.322 avg.) is the team's only .300 hitter. The starting pitching staff has no one with less than a 4.00 ERA. CL Duane Ward (3-0, 0.46 ERA, 12 Saves) is dominate when he has the chance.

In last place is the 1991 Minnesota Twins at 22-35, 17 GB. The Twins are 107th in the AL in runs scored (188) and OBP (.294). The team is ranked 102nd in the AL in batting average (.237). 1B Kent Hrbek is the team's only .300 hitter at .306. All starting pitchers have ERA's above 4.00. CF Kirby Puckett (.231, 5 HR, 28 RBI) generated news on May 15 when he hit for the cycle during a 7-6 loss to the 1912 Boston Red Sox. Puckett was 4 for 5 in the contest.

In the National League, the division race is a bit tighter. The 1997 Florida Marlins lead the division at the end of May with a record of 34-23. 3B Bobby Bonilla (.318 avg.) is the team's only .300 hitter. The starting pitching staff is led by Kevin Brown (7-2, 2.43 ERA). The bullpen is ranked 3rd in the NL with a 2.46 ERA. The Marlins won their first seven games of the month, including a sweep of the 1995 Atlanta Braves.

In second place are the 1999 Atlanta Braves at 33-24, 1 GB. The Braves have no .300 hitters, but 3B Chipper Jones (.296, 10 HR, 29 RBI) has .300 in his sights. Unfortunately, the rest of the team has been struggling at the plate. The Braves are 101st in the NL in batting average (.237) and 100th in OBP (.295). Pitching is carrying this team. SP Terry Mulholland (9-2, 2.36 ERA) leads the starters, while CL John Rocker (2-1, 1.15 ERA, 17 Saves) leads the bullpen. 1B Ryan Klesko (.279, 5 HR, 23 RBI) made news on May 11 when he went 5 for 6 in a 5-3 win (in 12 innings) over the 1957 Milwaukee Braves. Klesko hit four singles and a double. The Braves struggled in the second half of May, going 3-9 in their last twelve games....and they're still only a game back.

Two teams are tied for third place at 32-25, 2 GB. The first is the 1993 Philadelphia Phillies. RF Jim Eisenreich is hitting .332 to lead the team at the plate, while SP Curt Schilling is 6-3, with a 2.34 ERA to lead the pitchers. SP Ben Rivera 92-4, 5.01 ERA) picked up his 1st win of the season on May 7 with a 3-0 shutout win over the 1944 St. Louis Cardinals. Rivera allowed four hits, struck out four and walked two. The second team in the tie is the 1992 Atlanta Braves, one of two preseason favorites. SS Jeff Blauser (.297 avg.) is the leading hitter, while the starting pitching has been average so far. CL Mark Wohlers (3-1, 0.99 ERA, 15 Saves) is pitching strong from the bullpen.

The 1990 Cincinnati Reds, the second team expected to challenge for the division title, find themselves in fifth place at 31-26, 3 GB. The Reds are currently 3rd in the NL in batting average (.290). 1B Hal Morris is hitting .388 to lead the team, which has four other .300 hitters in the lineup. Morris is ranked 4th in the NL in batting average and 2nd in the NL in hits with 90. Morris also made news on two separate occasions this month. On May 6, Morris went 6 for 6, all singles, in a 15-12 win over the 1977 Los Angeles Dodgers. On May 18, Morris went 5 for 6 in a 5-4 win (in 11 innings) over the 1954 New York Giants. Morris had four singles and a double in that game. Cincinnati's starting pitching has been average, but the bullpen is ranked 8th in the NL with a 2.81 ERA.

In sixth place are the 1991 Atlanta Braves at 30-27, 4 GB. 2B Jeff Treadway leads the team in hitting with a .347 batting average, while SP Steve Avery (6-2, 3.43 ERA) is the team's best pitcher. LF Otis Nixon (.276, 0 HR, 11 RBI) made news on May 5 when he went 5 for 5 in a 12-3 win over the 1953 Brooklyn Dodgers. Nixon had four singles and a double in the game. Nixon is also ranked 2nd in the NL with 28 stolen bases. SP Tom Glavine (3-3, 2.64 ERA) made news on May 25 with a 9-0 win over the 1931 St. Louis Cardinals. Glavine allowed three hits, struck out six and walked none. The Braves gained two games on the division lead with an 18-11 mark in May.

The 1998 San Diego Padres find themselves in seventh place with a record of 29-28, 5 GB. RF Tony Gwynn leads the team in hitting with a .327 batting average. SP Kevin Brown (7-1, 1.52 ERA), SP Anday Ashby (9-2, 1.99 ERA) and CL Trevor Hoffman (0-0, 0.00 ERA, 12 Saves) lead the team's pitching staff. SP Joey Hamilton (4-6, 2.84 ERA) made news for the Padres on May 5 with a 6-0 win over the 1996 Atlanta Braves. Hamilton allowed three hits, struck out six and walked three. Gwynn made news on May 18 when he was 5 for 6 in a 14-2 win over the 2001 Arizona Diamondbacks. Gwynn had two singles, two doubles and a triple.

The 1995 Atlanta Braves are in eighth place with a record of 26-31, 8 GB. CF Mike Devereaux leads the hitters with a .338 batting average. Devereaux made news on May 23 with a 5 for 6 performance in a 6-3 win (in 11 innings) over the 1955 Brooklyn Dodgers. Devereaux had two singles, two doubles and a home run. SP Greg Maddux (6-2, 2.35 ERA) leads the pitchers, but SP Tom Glavine (0-4, 6.67 ERA) needs to turn things around in order for this team to have a chance. Not helping Glavine is the defense, which ranks 103rd in the NL. The team actually gained a game on the division lead after a 17-12 May. The team is still reeling from their 9-19 start in April. The Braves managed sweeps of the 1955 Dodgers, 1961 Cincinnati Reds and 1986 New York Mets this month, while being swept by the 1989 San Francisco Giants.

In ninth, and last, place are the 1996 Atlanta Braves at 25-32, 9 GB. The '96 Braves have no .300 hitters and are ranked 104th in the NL in batting average (.233) and 106th in slugging percentage (.332). The starting pitching staff is ranked 7th in the NL with a 2.90 ERA, with three starters having ERA's under 2.00. SP Steve Avery (4-5, 4.73 ERA) made news on May 24 with a 3-0 win over the 1980 Philadelphia Phillies. Avery allowed four hits, struck out three and walked none. SP John Smoltz (3-5, 1.98 ERA) made news on May 30 with a 4-0 win over the 1918 Chicago Cubs. Smoltz allowed five hits, struck out eleven and walked one.

[abell1198]

In the American League 2000's Division, the 2004 Boston Red Sox are starting to put some distance between them and the rest of the field. The Red Sox lead the division with a record of 37-20. Boston is currently 10th in the AL in batting average at .280. 1B David Ortiz (.321, 13 HR, 42 RBI) and DH Manny Ramirez (.310, 14 HR, 58 RBI) lead the lineup, while SP Curt Schilling (7-4, 3.11 ERA) and SP Tim Wakefield (7-1, 3.17 ERA) are tops on the mound. The bullpen is hurting, ranked 103rd in the AL with a 6.40 ERA.

Two teams are tied for second place at 31-26, 6 GB. The first is the 2008 Tampa Bay Rays. The Rays team batting average is a dismal .236, ranking them 103rd in the AL. LF Carl Crawford leads the team with a .298 average. SP Edwin Jackson (7-3, 2.76 ERA) is the best pitcher thus far. The bullpen is ranked 1st in the AL with a 1.62 ERA. The second team is the 2007 Boston Red Sox. The '07 Red Sox are 94th in the AL with their .244 team batting average. 2B Dustin Pedroia leads the team with a .319 average. SP Josh Beckett (4-2, 2.54 ERA) leads the pitchers. The Red Sox bullpen is ranked 7th in the AL with an ERA of 2.70. CL Jonathan Papelbon (3-1, 0.76 ERA, 14 Saves) leads the pen. Boston has been streaky in May, with winning streaks of 3,4 & 5 games and four 3 game losing streaks.

In fourth place are the 2003 New York Yankees at 29-28, 8 GB. The Yankees are 9th in the AL in home runs (69), but 103rd in defense (.654). SS Derek Jeter leads the team with a .338 batting average. SP Mike Mussina (8-4, 3.22 ERA) and SP Roger Clemens (6-3, 2.46 ERA) lead the starters. The bullpen, led by CL Mariano Rivera (0-2, 1.89 ERA, 12 Saves), is 9th in the AL with a 3.01 ERA.

The 2002 Anaheim Angels are in fifth place at 28-29, 9 GB. SS David Eckstein (.318) and CF Garrett Anderson (.316) are tops in the lineup. SP Kevin Appier (7-5, 3.29 ERA) leads the pitchers. The Angels need SP Jarrod Washburn (1-10, 6.19 ERA) to snap out of his funk and start contributing. The Angels were also streaky in May, with two 4 game winning streaks and a 3 game winning streak, but also with losing streaks of 5 and 3 games.

The 2000 New York Yankees are in sixth place at 27-30, 10 GB. CF Bernie Williams (.321) and SS Derek Jeter (.313) lead the team in hitting. Williams made the news for the Yanks on May 12, when he went 3 for 4 with three home runs against the 1905 Philadelphia Athletics in a 10-9 win (11 innings). Williams hit a two run shot off of SP Chief Bender on a 2-2 pitch in the 1st, then victimized Bender a second time on a 1-1 pitch in the 3rd inning with another two run shot. Williams was then walked three times, once intentionally, before he came to the plate in the 11th. Williams took the first pitch deep, winning the game with a walk-off grand slam!!! I'm not even a Yankees fan, but I would have loved to have seen that!! SP Andy Pettitte (7-4, 3.68 ERA) leads a weak starting rotation ranked 101st in the AL with a 5.42 ERA. The Yankees suffered through a 10-19 May and had three 4 game losing streaks. The road has not been kind to New York, as they've posted an away record of 8-19.

In seventh place are the 2009 New York Yankees at 26-31, 11 GB. SS Derek Jeter leads the team with a .320 average, while SP C.C. Sabathia (7-4, 3.12 ERA) leads the pitching staff. Sabathia made news for the Yanks on May 19 with a 7-0 win over the 1921 New York Yankees. Sabathia allowed two hits, struck out six and walked four. 2B Robinson Cano (.265, 6 HR, 32 RBI) made news the following day on May 20 in a 3-2 loss to the '21 Yankees. Cano went 5 for 5 with four singles and a double.

Eighth place is held by the 2005 Chicago White Sox at 24-33, 13 GB. The White Sox are 96th in the AL in runs scored (216) and 99th in OBP (.312). 1B Paul Konerko is hitting .317 to lead the team, while SP Mark Buehrle (4-4, 3.45 ERA) is the best pitcher. SP Orlando Hernandez (6-5, 4.86 ERA) made news for the team on May 13 with a 1-0 win over the 1954 Cleveland Indians. Hernandez allowed two hits, struck out seven and walked two. The White Sox were swept by the 1942 New York Yankees and 1919 Chicago White Sox this month and have posted a miserable road record of 7-23 for the season.

The 2001 New York Yankees are in ninth place with a record of 22-35, 15 GB. SS Derek Jeter (.325) is one of three .300 hitters in the lineup. SP Roger Clemens (5-3, 3.71 ERA) leads the pitchers. The Yankees won only one series this month while being swept by the 2003 New York Yankees, 1951 New York Yankees and 1995 Cleveland Indians during an 11 game losing streak.

In last place are the 2006 Detroit Tigers at 20-37, 17 GB. SS Carlos Guillen (.316, 5 HR, 21 RBI) and RF Magglio Ordonez (.305, 10 HR, 31 RBI) are powering the lineup. The starting pitching is 95th in the AL with a 5.24 ERA and the Tiger's defense is ranked 101st at .657. The Tigers are 106th in runs scored (193) and 105th in OBP (.296). SP Justin Verlander (3-8, 5.78 ERA) made news for the team on May 4 with a 6-0 win over the 1919 Chicago White Sox. Verlander allowed two hits, struck out two and walked two to earn his first win of the season.

The National League 2000's Division is led by the 2003 Florida Marlins at 35-22. 2B Luis Castillo (.313) and RF Juan Encarnacion (.307) lead the lineup. SP Brad Penny (8-0, 2.55 ERA) has been lights out. The Marlin bullpen is ranked 1st in the NL with a 1.65 ERA, while the entire pitching staff has allowed the fewest runs in the NL at 173.

The 2002 San Francisco Giants are in second place at 34-23, 1 GB. LF Barry Bonds (.367, 17 HR, 49 RBI) is the team's only .300 hitter. Bonds was the NL's Batter of the Month for May, as he hit .419, 9 HR, 30 RBI. SP Russ Ortiz (5-3, 1.90 ERA) is the leading pitcher. Ortiz made news on May 27 with a 6-0 win over the 1936 New York Giants. Ortiz allowed three hits, struck out two and walked two. SP Kirk Rueter (5-4, 5.32 ERA) also made news for the team on May 24 with an 8-0 win over the 1928 St. Louis Cardinals. Rueter allowed three hits, struck out two and walked one. The San Francisco bullpen is 9th in the NL with a 2.87 ERA, led by CL Robb Nen (1-0, 0.59 ERA, 19 Saves).

The preseason favorites, the 2005 Houston Astros, find themselves in third place at 32-25, 3 GB. The Astros put together some streaks in May, winning eight games and six games, but losing six games in between the two winning streaks. The team has no .300 hitters. 2B Craig Biggio (.284, 9 HR, 21 RBI) is the Astro's best hitter. The starting pitching staff is ranked 10th in the NL with a 3.01 ERA, sporting a big three of SP Roger Clemens (7-3, 2.31 ERA), SP Andy Pettitte (6-4, 2.43 ERA) and SP Roy Oswalt (6-5, 2.71 ERA). CL Brad Lidge (0-0, 1.59 ERA, 17 Saves) leads the bullpen.

In fourth place are the 2000 New York Mets at 31-26, 4 GB. 2B Edgardo Alfonzo leads the team with a .309 batting average. SP Al Leiter (5-3, 2.84 ERA) is the Met's best pitcher. New York posted a winning record this month despite losing their last three series.

Two teams are tied for fifth place at 30-27, 5 GB. The first team is the 2004 St. Louis Cardinals. 1B Albert Pujols (.303, 9 HR, 33 RBI) leads the team in hitting, while SP Chris Carpenter (6-5, 2.62 ERA) leads the pitching staff. The Cardinals posted a 13-16 record in May, dropping them back after a promising start. The second team in fifth place is the 2007 Colorado Rockies. The Rockies, not surprisingly, are putting up some offensive numbers. Colorado is 2nd in the NL in hits (601), 2nd in batting average (.298), 3rd in runs scored (316), 4th in slugging (.445) and 7th in OBP (.355). CF Willy Tavaras is hitting .376 and is one of five .300 hitters in the lineup. SP Jeff Francis (6-4, 3.49 ERA) leads a starting staff ranked 102nd in the NL with a 4.70 ERA.

In seventh place are the 2001 Arizona Diamondbacks at 27-30, 8 GB. The Diamondback's defense is killing them, ranked 102nd in the NL (.656). LF Luis Gonzalez (.330, 15 HR, 39 RBI) leads the lineup, while SP Randy Johnson (3-4, 1.38 ERA, 149 K's) leads the pitchers. The Arizona bullpen is ranked 7th in the NL with a 2.70 ERA.

The 2008 Philadelphia Phillies are in eighth place with a record of 26-31, 9 GB. The Phillies defense is the worst in the NL, as is their starting pitching (5.46 ERA). The bullpen is ranked 95th with a 5.27 ERA. On the plus side, the Phillies are 5th in the NL in home runs with 65. CF Shane Victorino (.342, 11 HR, 44 RBI) leads the team in batting average, but watched his 21 game hitting streak end on May 17. 1B Ryan Howard (.249, 19 HR, 51 RBI) is powering the lineup when he hits the ball.

In ninth place are the 2009 Philadelphia Phillies at 23-34, 12 GB. 1B Ryan Howard (.310, 13 HR, 35 RBI) leads the team in hitting, while SP Cliff Lee (4-4, 2.25 ERA) leads the pitchers. The Phillie defense is ranked 100th in the NL. Philadelphia was swept by the 1980 Philadelphia Phillies and 1962 San Francisco Giants in the middle of May during a seven game losing streak. The Phillies are terrible away from home, posting a 6-21 record.

The 2006 St. Louis Cardinals are in last place at 21-36, 14 GB. 1B Albert Pujols (.306, 11 HR, 43 RBI) is the team's only .300 hitter. SP Chris Carpenter (3-6, 2.35 ERA) is having trouble getting wins, while SP Anthony Reyes (5-4, 3.63 ERA) has been a solid contributor. 3B Scott Rolen (.278, 6 HR, 23 RBI) made news on May 17 in a 10-3 win over the 1960 Pittsburgh Pirates when he went 5 for 5. Rolen hit two singles and three doubles in the win.

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The 2010's Division in the American League got a new leader in May. Unfortunately, the records for these teams are less than stellar. The 2012 Detroit Tigers are leading the division with a record of 26-31. DH Miguel Cabrera is the team's best hitter at .341, with 12 HR and 37 RBI. The pitching has been average to date. SP Doug Fister (5-6, 3.98 ERA) did make news for the team on May 26 with a 6-0 win over the 1939 New York Yankees. Fister allowed four hits, struck out eleven and walked one in the contest.

In second place are the 2011 Texas Rangers at 22-35, 4 GB. The Rangers are led at the plate by 1B Micheal Young (.336, 3 HR, 26 RBI) and C Mike Napoli (.330, 14 HR, 43 RBI). Unfortunately for the Rangers, their defense is the worst in the American League and their pitching staff is currently ranked 105th with a combined ERA of 5.70. The Rangers started the month of May with an 11 game losing streak, finishing the month with a record of 9-20.

The 2010 Texas Rangers are in last place at 19-38, 7 GB. The Rangers are currently ranked 8th in team batting average at .282. 3B Michael Young (.351, 10 HR, 28 RBI) leads the team at the plate. SP C.J. Wilson leads the pitchers at 4-3, 3.03 ERA, but the staff as a whole is ranked 102nd in the AL with a 5.44 ERA. The defense is 107th in the AL, better than only their 2011 counterparts.

In the National League, the 2011 St. Louis Cardinals are still in the lead of the division at 32-25. RF Lance Berkman (.353, 14 HR, 39 RBI) and 1B Albert Pujols (.288, 14 HR, 44 RBI) are tops in the lineup. SP Edwin Jackson (5-1, 3.63 ERA) is the surprise leader of the pitching staff. The bullpen is ranked 5th in the NL with a 2.53 ERA.

In second place are the 2012 San Francisco Giants at 24-33, 8 GB. LF Melky Cabrera (.347 avg) is one of four .300 hitters in the lineup. SP Barry Zito is leading the pitching staff at 6-2, 2.76 ERA. The Giants started May with a 10 game losing streak to drop them off the pace.

The preseason favorites, the 2010 San Francisco Giants, are failing to live up to the hype. The Giants are in last place at 20-37, 12 GB. The team has been futile at the plate, ranking 106th in the NL in runs scored (168), 99th in batting average (.240) and 105th in OBP (.292). LF Pat Burrell leads the team with a .298 average. SP Tim Lincecum (6-3, 3.11 ERA) is the team's best pitcher.

So, there you have it at the end of two months. Can your favorite team hold on to their lead or turn things around to take the lead? Let's move on to the month of June and find out.

[abell1198]

We are finally through the month of June and halfway through the season. Some leads have changed, while others remained the same. In the American League 1900's Division, the 1908 Detroit Tigers still maintain 1st place with a 40-42 record and have increased their lead by three games. The Tigers are 6th in the AL in stolen bases (121) and 7th in average (.282). LF Matty McIntyre leads the team with a .337 average and is one of three .300 hitters. SP George Mullin (7-4, 3.98 ERA) leads the pitching staff. On June 19, SP Ed Summers (6-7, 3.90 ERA) made news by pitching the Tigers to a 5-0 win over the 1970 Baltimore Orioles (42-32). Summers allowed only two hits, struck out six and walked two. Notable wins for the Tigers in June were sweeps of the 1964 and 1923 New York Yankees.

In second place are the 1909 Detroit Tigers at 37-45, 3 GB. The '09 Tigers are 1st in the AL in stolen bases with 170 and 4th in runs scored with 436. The Tigers are led by RF Ty Cobb, who is hitting .359, 15 HR, 58 RBI. Cobb is 2nd in the AL in hits (120) and leads the Majors in stolen bases (48). Cobb made news for the team on June 1st when he went 5 for 5 in a 10-6 win over the 1950 New York Yankees (24-34). Cobb had three singles and two homers in the game. CF Sam Crawford (.338, 16 HR, 76 RBI) is also a power to be reckoned with for the Tigers. Crawford took home Player of the Week honors on June 10th after going 14 for 25 with 4 homers and 17 RBI in six games. Detroit would be a much better team if their pitching wasn't so terrible, as it's ranked 105th in the AL with a 5.68 combined ERA. The Tigers have also been streaky, winning six, losing four and winning four during the month. Detroit lost the last four games of June as well.

The 1906 Chicago White Sox find themselves in third place with a record of 33-49, 7 GB. The White Sox are 7th in the AL in stolen bases with 114. SS George Davis (.334) is the team's only .300 hitter. Davis is currently tied for 3rd in the AL in doubles with 34. SP Ed Walsh is the team's best pitcher at 5-5, 3.37 ERA. SP Nick Altrock (6-7, 3.52 ERA) made news for the team on June 1st with a 3-0 win over the 1915 Boston Red Sox (31-27). Altrock allowed two hits, struck out three and walked one in the game.

In fourth place are the 1907 Detroit Tigers at 32-50, 8 GB. The Tigers are 9th in the AL in stolen bases with 111. RF Ty Cobb (.336, 11 HR, 43 RBI) and CF Sam Crawford (.294, 10 HR, 53 RBI) lead the team in hitting. Cobb took home Player of the Week honors on June 17th after going 14 for 25 with 4 HR and 6 RBI in the previous week's games. Starting pitching has been a problem for the team. SP Ed Killian (9-5, 5.11 ERA) leads the team in wins, SP Bill Donovan (7-7, 3.13 ERA) has the best ERA and SP Ed Siever (0-14, 5.60 ERA) has yet to win a game.

The fifth place team is the 1905 Philadelphia Athletics at 30-52, 10 GB. The Athletics are 4th in the AL in stolen bases with 129, but have no .300 hitters in their lineup. SP Rube Waddell (7-6, 2.78 ERA) is tied for the Major League lead in strikeouts with 198. SP Andy Coakley (9-4, 3.31 ERA) made news for the team on June 11th with his 3-0 win over the 1990 Oakland Athletics (30-37). Coakley allowed five hits, struck out seven and walked three in the contest.

The 1903 Boston Americans are in last place at 22-60, 18 GB. The team has no .300 hitters and have three players hitting under .200. SP Cy Young is 5-12, with a 3.49 ERA. The Americans were 4-21 in the month of June. Their pitching ranks at or near the bottom in multiple categories.

In the National League, the 1906 Chicago Cubs are still in first place, but have dropped their lead by a game. The Cubs (51-31) are ranked 5th in the NL in stolen bases (119) and 3rd in Defense (.726). 3B Harry Steinfeldt is hitting .350 and is one of three .300 hitters in the lineup. SP Jack Pfiester (8-2, 2.50 ERA) made news for the Cubs on June 26th with a 1-0 win over the 1957 Milwaukee Braves (31-47). Pfiester allowed four hits, struck out ten and walked three in the game.

In second place are the 1909 Pittsburgh Pirates at 48-34, 3 GB. The Pirates are currently 8th in the NL in stolen bases with 104. SS Honus Wagner (.323) is one of two .300 hitters in the lineup. SP Nick Maddox (9-3, 2.91 ERA) leads the pitchers. On June 1st, SP Deacon Phillippe (4-7, 5.44 ERA) made news for the team with his 3-0 win over the 2002 San Francisco Giants (34-24). Phillippe allowed three hits, struck out three and walked two in the contest. Also making news for the team was SP Howie Camnitz. Camnitz (9-6, 3.68 ERA) and the Pirates defeated the 1921 New York Giants (32-34) 5-0 on June 10th. Camnitz allowed three hits, struck out ten and walked one.

The 1903 Pittsburgh Pirates are in third place at 47-35, 4 GB. LF Fred Clarke (.324) leads all hitters and is one of three .300 hitters on the team. SP Cy Falkenberg (7-5, 3.74 ERA) made news for the team on June 3rd in a 10-0 rout of the 1964 St. Louis Cardinals (21-39). Falkenberg allowed three hits, struck out one and walked four in the game. Not to be outdone, the team's leading pitcher, SP Sam Leever (11-4, 3.06 ERA) made news on June 6th with his own shutout, a 6-0 win over the 2009 Philadelphia Phillies (25-37). Leever allowed three hits, struck out five and walked none. The Pirates put together a twelve game winning streak when they won their last four games of May and first eight games of June. Unfortunately, the Pirate's month ended on a sour note, as they were swept by the 2006 St. Louis Cardinals and 1915 Philadelphia Phillies.

In fourth place are the 1908 Chicago Cubs at 42-40, 9 GB. The Cubs are 7th in the NL in stolen bases with 108. C Johnny Kling (.295, 9 HR, 51 RBI) leads the lineup, while SP Jack Pfiester (9-4, 2.70 ERA) leads the pitchers.

The 1905 New York Giants are in fifth place in the division at 39-43, 12 GB. CF Mike Donlin is hitting .385 with 11 HR and 49 RBI. Donlin currently has a 22 game hitting streak. Donlin is also currently ranked 4th in the NL in average and is 2nd in the NL in hits with 125. SP Christy Mathewson leads the pitchers with a 10-2 record and 2.50 ERA. LF Sam Mertes (.334, 5 HR, 60 RBI) made news for the team on June 3rd when he went 5 for 5 in a 13-8 win over the 1974 Los Angeles Dodgers (28-32). Mertes had three singles, a double and a triple in the game. Donlin also made news for the team on June 9th when he went 5 for 6 in a 20-15 loss to the 1976 Cincinnati Reds (42-23). Donlin had three singles, a double and a triple as well. The next day, June 10th, Mathewson made the headlines with a 9-0 win over the Reds (42-24). Mathewson allowed four hits, struck out seven and walked none.

In last place are the 1907 Chicago Cubs at 37-45, 14 GB. The Cubs are 4th in the NL in defense (.725). C Johnny Kling is the team's leading hitter at .301. SP Orval Overall is 8-5 with a 2.77 ERA, while the entire starting five are ranked 15th in the NL with a combined ERA of 3.05. The Cubs are trying to turn things around, posting a 15-10 record in June after an 8-21 May. The Cubs swept the 1936 New York Giants and 1927 Pittsburgh Pirates.

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In the American League, the 1910's Division leader is still the 1912 Boston Red Sox at 55-27. Boston was even able to pad their lead by a game through the month of June. The Red Sox are 4th in the AL in defense. CF Tris Speaker is hitting .372, with 11 HR and 52 RBI. Speaker currently leads the AL in batting average. Boston's starting pitching is ranked 4th in the AL with a 2.93 ERA. SP Smoky Joe Wood (11-4, 2.59 ERA), SP Buck O'Brien (10-3, 2.20 ERA) and SP Ray Collins (10-3, 2.77 ERA) have been a dominant force for the team. Collins made news for the Red Sox on June 2 with a 5-0 win over the 1992 Toronto Blue Jays (24-35), as he allowed three hits, struck out seven and walked one. CL Charley Hall (1-3, 2.75 ERA, 25 Saves) is 3rd in the AL in saves.

The 1913 Philadelphia Athletics are in second place and 4 GB with a record of 51-31. Philadelphia is 3rd in the AL in stolen bases with 161, 5th on OBP at .362 and 6th in defense. 2B Eddie Collins (.336, 6 HR, 46 RBI) and 3B Home Run Baker (.327, 11 HR, 57 RBI) lead the team at the plate. Baker made headlines on June 30 when he went 5 for 5 in a 14-6 win over the 2010 Texas Rangers (33-49). Baker hit four singles and a home run. The Athletics pitching staff of SP Chief Bender (10-3, 2.91 ERA), SP Eddie Plank (9-4, 2.31 ERA) and SP Bullet Joe Bush (9-4, 2.48 ERA) has been outstanding through the first half.

In third place, and quite a ways off of the pace, are the 1915 Boston Red Sox at 45-37, 10 GB. Boston has no .300 hitters in the lineup and are near the bottom in multiple offensive categories. The Red Sox are currently 5th in the AL in stolen bases with 122 and 2nd in defense. The starting pitching has a combined ERA of 3.08. SP Smoky Joe Wood (10-4, 2.58 ERA) made news for the team on June 13 in a 5-0 win over the 1943 New York Yankees (41-28). Wood allowed three hits, struck out ten and walked none. SP Dutch Leonard (9-4, 1.53 ERA) is 4th in the AL in ERA. Leonard made news twice this month. On June 16, Leonard won a 6-0 game over the 1964 New York Yankees (31-41) when he allowed only four hits, struck out 14 and walked three. Two weeks later, on June 30, Leonard picked up a 7-0 win over the 1985 Kansas City Royals (37-45) while holding them to one hit, striking out 12 and walking two.

The 1919 Chicago White Sox are in fourth place at 44-38, 11 GB. LF Shoeless Joe Jackson (.368, 10 HR, 64 RBI) is 2nd in the AL in hitting. 2B Eddie Collins (.313, 4 HR, 45 RBI) is also hitting well for Chicago. SP Grover Lowdermilk (7-1, 2.60 ERA) leads the pitching staff. Another pitcher, however, made big news on June 6. SP Lefty Williams (8-8, 4.94 ERA) threw a no-hitter against the 1997 Cleveland Indians (34-28) in an 8-0 win. Williams struck out seven and walked one.

Three teams find themselves tied for fifth place at 43-39, 12 GB. The 1914 Philadelphia Athletics are 2nd in the AL in stolen bases with 162. 2B Eddie Collins (.366, 2 HR, 45 RBI), 3B Home Run Baker (.327, 6 HR, 64 RBI) and C Wally Schang (.321, 10 HR, 53 RBI) are leading the way at the plate for the Athletics. SP Eddie Plank (8-4, 3.45 ERA) and SP Bullet Joe Bush (8-5, 3.64 ERA) lead the charge on the mound. The 1911 Philadelphia Athletics are the second team in the tie and are currently 8th in the AL in stolen bases with 113. The 1911 team has 2B Eddie Collins (.351, 2 HR, 42 RBI) and 3B Home Run Baker (.296, 11 HR, 58 RBI) leading the team in hitting, while SP Eddie Plank is 10-4 with a 2.73 ERA to lead the pitchers. The 1917 Chicago White Sox finish out the three team tie. Chicago is 10th in the AL in stolen bases with 94. LF Shoeless Joe Jackson (.317, 9 HR, 50 RBI) leads the team in hitting. SP Reb Russell (8-5, 3.45 ERA), SP Red Faber (8-5, 3.07 ERA) and SP Joe Benz (8-5, 3.81 ERA) have all been pitching well for the White Sox.

The 1916 Boston Red Sox are in eighth place at 41-41, 14 GB. CF Tillie Walker (.325, 2 HR, 57 RBI) and 3B Larry Gardner (.315, 2 HR, 38 RBI) lead the team at the dish, while SP Ernie Shore is 9-1 with a 2.41 ERA at the halfway point of the season.

In ninth place are the 1910 Philadelphia Athletics at 39-43, 16 GB. 2B Eddie Collins (.353, 7 HR, 52 RBI) is tied for 2nd in the AL with 120 hits. 3B Home Run Baker (.293, 7 HR, 41 RBI) is tied for 3rd in the AL in triples with eight. SP Eddie Plank (7-5, 2.98 ERA) made news for the team on June 7 with a 2-0 win over the 2000 New York Yankees (28-35). Plank allowed only three hits, struck out five and walked two.

The 1918 Boston Red Sox are in last place with a record of 31-51, 24 GB. The Red Sox have no .300 hitters and are in the bottom 10% in the offensive categories. CL Dick McCabe (4-3, 2.61 ERA, 18 Saves) has performed well.

In the National League, the 1913 New York Giants have maintained their three game lead in the month of June, finishing at 54-28. The Giants are 1st in the NL in stolen bases with 151 and are 9th in runs scored with 405. C Chief Meyers (.338, 5 HR, 55 RBI) leads the team at the plate. SP Al Demaree (10-4, 2.93 ERA) and SP Red Ames (10-3, 2.31 ERA) lead the starters, while CL Hooks Wiltse (2-2, 2.29 ERA, 27 Saves) leads a bullpen ranked 7th in the NL with a 2.85 combined ERA. Wiltse is currently 1st in the NL in saves.

The 1912 New York Giants are in second place at 51-31, 3 GB. The 1912 Giants are 6th in the NL in stolen bases with 113. 2B Larry Doyle (.349, 14 HR, 46 RBI) is the team's biggest hitting threat. Doyle made news for the team on June 28 when he went 5 for 5 in a 3-1 win over the 1910 Chicago Cubs (48-32). Doyle had four singles and a double in the game. SP Christy Mathewson (11-2, 2.26 ERA) and SP Doc Crandall (9-2, 2.87 ERA) lead the pitchers.

Speaking of the 1910 Chicago Cubs, they find themselves in third place halfway through the season, with a record of 49-33, 5 GB. The Cubs are 9th in the NL in stolen bases with 94. 1B Frank Chance leads the team with a .299 average. SP Ed Reulbach (11-4, 2.70 ERA) is Chicago's best pitcher.

In fourth place are the 1916 Brooklyn Robins at 44-38, 10 GB. LF Zack Wheat (.302, 12 HR, 47 RBI) leads the team in hitting. 3B Mike Mowrey (.294, 0 HR, 32 RBI) is tied for 3rd in the NL in doubles with 34. SP Larry Cheney (9-4, 2.76 ERA) and SP Wheezer Dell (8-4, 2.68 ERA) are performing well on the mound. SP Rub Marquard (8-7, 3.09 ERA) made news on June 10 when he struck out 15 during a 3-0 win over the 1970 Cincinnati Reds (31-35). Marquard allowed five hits and walked two. SP Jeff Pfeffer (6-5, 2.94 ERA) also made the headlines for the Robins on June 30 after a 7-0 win over the 1921 New York Giants (40-42). Pfeffer allowed six hits, struck out 10 and walked none in the contest.

Two teams are tied for fifth place in the division at 41-41, 13 GB. The first is the 1915 Philadelphia Phillies. The Phillies are 102nd in batting average in the NL and have no .300 hitters in their lineup. RF Gavvy Cravath (.269, 28 HR, 63 RBI) is 2nd in the NL in home runs. SP Pete Alexander (7-1, 1.60 ERA) is 2nd in the NL in ERA. SP George McQuillan (9-4, 2.74 ERA) has also pitched well in the first half. The second team is the 1917 New York Giants. The Giants are 2nd in the NL in defense. CF Benny Kauff (.330, 11 HR, 40 RBI) is the team's leading hitter. SP Pol Perritt (9-6, 3.16 ERA) made news for the team on June 6 in a 5-0 win over the 1965 Los Angeles Dodgers (35-27). Perritt allowed four hits, struck out four and walked one in the shutout. Not to be outdone, SP Ferdie Schupp (7-4, 2.68 ERA) made headlines the following day on June 7 with a 4-0 win over the Dodgers (35-28). Schupp scattered six hits, struck out five and walked none in the game. Perritt again made the news for the Giants on June 30 with a 6-0 win over the 1928 St. Louis Cardinals (44-38). Perritt allowed five hits, struck out three and walked three. The Giants put together their first winning month of the year, going 16-9.

Two teams are tied for seventh place at 38-44, 16 GB. The 1911 New York Giants are ranked 4th in the NL in stolen bases with 122, but have no .300 hitters. SP Christy Mathewson is 9-5, with a 2.23 ERA. The 1914 Boston Braves also have no .300 hitters. SP Lefty Tyler (9-3, 2.40 ERA) and CL Paul Strand (2-3, 1.38 ERA, 23 Saves) are tops on the mound.

Two teams also share the basement at 35-47, 19 GB. The 1919 Cincinnati Reds are 10th in the NL in stolen bases with 92. CF Edd Roush leads the Reds hitters at .324, 4 HR, 40 RBI. SP Hod Eller is the team's best pitcher at 8-6, 2.88 ERA. 2B Morrie Rath (.255, 1 HR, 22 RBI) made news for the Reds on June 16 when he went 5 for 5 at the plate, all singles, in a 7-1 win over the 1927 Pittsburgh Pirates (35-37). And last, but not least, are the 1918 Chicago Cubs. 1B Fred Merkle (.354, 9 HR, 53 RBI) leads the team in hitting. SP Claude Hendrix (10-4, 3.32 ERA) made news for the team on June 7 in a 6-0 win over the 1945 Chicago Cubs (33-30). Hendrix allowed four hits, struck out five and walked none. SP Hippo Vaughn (5-9, 3.32 ERA) also made headlines for the club on June 15 in a 9-1 win over the 1956 Brooklyn Dodgers (33-38). Vaughn struck out 15, while allowing four hits and walking none. CL Vic Aldridge (3-1, 2.02 ERA, 17 Saves) is performing well from the bullpen.

[abell1198]

In the American League, the 1927 New York Yankees are putting some space between themselves and second place. The Yankees increased their lead by three games and find themselves at 55-27, eight games in front. New York is 3rd in the AL in defense. 1B Lou Gehrig (.326, 21 HR, 64 RBI) and RF Babe Ruth (.263, 22 HR, 62 RBI) lead the team at the plate. The '27 Yankees pitching staff is ranked 2nd in the AL with a combined ERA of 3.02. SP Urban Schocker (11-4, 2.92 ERA) made news for the team on June 14 with a 2-0 victory over the 1963 New York Yankees (42-28). Shocker allowed only two hits, struck out three and walked one. SP Waite Hoyt (10-1, 2.45 ERA) also made news on June 26 with a 10-0 win over the 1909 Detroit Tigers (35-43). Hoyt allowed five hits, struck out six and walked one.

In second place are the 1921 New York Yankees at 47-35, 8 GB. C Wally Schang (.297, 3 HR, 23 RBI) and LF Babe Ruth (.270, 18 HR, 51 RBI) lead the team in hitting. SP Waite Hoyt is the team's best pitcher at 8-6, 3.78 ERA.

Two teams are tied for third place at 46-36, 9 GB. The 1925 Washington Senators are led by DH Roy Carlyle (.308, 12 HR, 61 RBI) at the plate. Carlyle is tied for 3rd in the AL in doubles with 34. On the mound, the Senators are led by SP Walter Johnson (8-3, 2.37 ERA) and SP Dutch Ruether (9-5, 3.30 ERA). Ruether is tied for 1st in the Majors in shutouts with four. Also tied for third are the 1920 Cleveland Indians. The Indians are 10th in the AL in OBP (.356). RF Elmer Smith (.351, 18 HR, 75 RBI) had a 24 game hitting streak snapped on June 30. CF Tris Speaker (.352, 5 HR, 47 RBI) also made news for the club on June 9 when he went 5 for 5, all singles, in a 12-5 win over the 2003 New York Yankees (31-34). Three starting pitchers lead the team on the mound; SP Stan Coveleski (9-6, 3.12 ERA), SP Duster Mails (9-5, 3.67 ERA) and SP Ray Caldwell (9-4, 3.38 ERA).

The 1929 Philadelphia Athletics are in fifth place at 45-37, 10 GB. The Athletics are tied for 7th in the AL in runs against, allowing only 295. SP Lefty Grove (10-3, 1.38 ERA) is 3rd in the AL in ERA and 2nd in the AL in strikeouts with 181. C Mickey Cochrane (.327, 2 HR, 30 RBI), LF Al Simmons (.306, 15 HR, 59 RBI) and 1B Jimmie Foxx (.298, 12 HR, 42 RBI) are all hitting well in the first half of the season.

The 1928 New York Yankees find themselves in sixth place at 41-41, 14 GB. 2B Tony Lazzeri (.306, 3 HR, 23 RBI) and RF Babe Ruth (.305, 16 HR, 48 RBI) lead the team in hitting. CL Archie Campbell (3-2, 1.67 ERA, 18 saves) is performing well for the team from the bullpen. SP George Pipgras (6-7, 2.71 ERA) made the news on June 29 in a 6-0 win over the 1919 Chicago White Sox (43-38). Pipgras allowed five hits, struck out five and walked three in the game.

Two teams are tied for seventh place at 40-42, 15 GB. The 1924 Washington Senators are 107th in the AL in home runs with only 15. 1B Joe Judge (.315, 0 HR, 44 RBI) leads the team in hitting. SP George Mogridge is the team's best pitcher at 10-4, 3.28 ERA. SP Tom Zachary (7-7, 4.88 ERA) made news on June 27 with his 4-0 shutout win over the 1963 New York Yankees (45-34). Zachary allowed two hits, struck out one and walked two. The 1926 New York Yankees are struggling, even while RF Babe Ruth (.344, 34 HR, 85 RBI) is leading the Majors in RBI and is 3rd in the AL in home runs. CL Garland Braxton (2-1, 0.94 ERA, 14 saves) has been brilliant out of the pen. On a high note, the Yankees won 6 of their last 7 games.

Two teams are also tied for last place in the division, 20 GB at 35-47. The 1923 New York Yankees have no .300 hitters in their lineup. RF Babe Ruth (.261, 19 HR, 55 RBI) leads the team in hitting. SP Bullet Joe Bush (8-6, 2.23 ERA) and SP Sad Sam Jones (10-4, 3.75 ERA) lead the pitching staff. Jones made news for the team on June 20 in a 7-0 win over the 1973 Oakland A's (33-42). Jones held the A's to just one hit, struck out ten and walked two. The 1922 New York Yankees are led at the plate by LF Babe Ruth (.301, 25 HR, 55 RBI), while SP Sad Sam Jones (9-4, 3.66 ERA) is the team's best pitcher. The staff as a whole ranks 98th in the AL with a 5.13 ERA.

In the National League, the surprise leader at the mid-point of the season is the 1929 Chicago Cubs at 45-37. The Cubs were picked 9th in the division in the preseason predictions. Chicago is currently 6th in the NL in batting average (.283) and 5th in the NL in OBP (.355). 2B Rogers Hornsby (.353, 16 HR, 62 RBI) and LF Riggs Stephenson (.350, 8 HR, 33 RBI) lead the team in hitting. Hornsby won Player of the Week honors on June 17 after hitting .500 (13 for 26) with 3 HR and 10 RBI. 1B Charlie Grimm (.316, 3 HR, 41 RBI) had his 22 game hitting streak snapped on June 29. SP Pat Malone (10-4, 2.20 ERA) is the team's best pitcher and is 4th in the NL with 160 strikeouts. Malone made the news on June 10 in a 2-1 win over the 1983 Philadelphia Phillies (23-43) when he struck out 15 batters, while allowing only three hits and walking one. Also making news for the Cubs on the mound was SP Sheriff Blake (7-7, 3.42 ERA). Blake threw a 6-0 shutout win over the 2010 San Francisco Giants (24-44) on June 12, allowing three hits, striking out nine and walking three.

A game behind the Cubs, the 1928 St. Louis Cardinals are in second place at 44-38. The Cardinals are 7th in the NL in defense. LF Chick Hafey (.326, 21 HR, 55 RBI) leads the hitters, while SP Pete Alexander (10-4, 2.72 ERA) is tops on the mound for the redbirds.

In third place are the 1920 Brooklyn Robins at 42-40, 3 GB. The Robins are struggling at the plate, ranking 103rd in the NL in runs scored (261), 105th in OBP (.292) and 108th in home runs (19). Fortunately, their pitching is 6th in the NL in runs against (266) and 6th in ERA at 3.05. SP Rube Marquard (8-6, 1.62 ERA) is 3rd in the NL in ERA. Marquard made news for the team on June 6 with an 8-0 win over the 2006 St. Louis Cardinals (23-39). Marquard allowed two hits, struck out seven and walked none. 1B Ed Konetchy (.304, 6 HR, 44 RBI) is the Robin's best hitter.

Two teams are tied for fourth place at 41-41, 4 GB. The 1925 Pittsburgh Pirates are led at the plate by RF Kiki Cuyler (.357, 5 HR, 44 RBI). SP Emil Yde (8-3, 3.15 ERA) is the team's best pitcher. The Pirates lost 1st place in June while posting a miserable 8-17 record. The 1923 New York Giants are 5th in the NL in average (.283) and 10th in OBP (.345). However, their pitching is 103rd in the NL with a combined ERA of 4.92. Four players are hitting well for the Giants. RF Ross Youngs (.346, 2 HR, 37 RBI), CF Casey Stengel (.299, 12 HR, 44 RBI), 2B Frankie Frisch (.338, 11 HR, 48 RBI) and LF Irish Meusel (.296, 11 HR, 69 RBI). Stengel made front page news on June 20 in a 5-4 win (11 innings) over the 1945 Chicago Cubs (39-36). Stengel went 5 for 6 in the game, with three singles, a double and a home run. Meusel also made news for the team on June 29 in a 12-1 drubbing of the 2001 Arizona Diamondbacks (38-43). Meusel was 5 for 5 in the game, hitting four singles and a double. The best pitcher on the team is SP Rosy Ryan (9-5, 3.65 ERA).

Four teams are tied for sixth place at 40-42, 5 GB. The 1926 St. Louis Cardinals are led by 2B Rogers Hornsby (.318, 9 HR, 44 RBI) and 3B Les Bell (.301, 11 HR, 58 RBI). SP Pete Alexander (7-5, 2.74 ERA) is the best pitcher so far, but two others made news this month. SP Bill Shardel (7-5, 3.12 ERA) made news on June 3 in a 3-0 win over the 1990 Cincinnati Reds (31-29). Shardel allowed six hits, struck out three and walked none in the contest. SP Flint Rhem (6-6, 3.71 ERA) hit the presses on June 25 in a 16-0 beating of the 1935 Chicago Cubs (38-39). Rhem scattered four hits, struck out eight and walked one. The 1927 Pittsburgh Pirates are ranked 6th in the NL in defense. 3B Pie Traynor (.302, 2 HR, 40 RBI), LF Clyde Barnhart (.299, 1 HR, 22 RBI) and RF Paul Waner (.298, 7 HR, 41 RBI) are the players to watch at the plate. SP Carmen Hill (8-6, 3.20 ERA) leads the pitching staff and made news for the team twice this month. On June 7, Hill threw a 6-0 shutout over the 1921 New York Giants (31-32), allowing just two hits, striking out eight and walking four. On June 26, Hill threw a 5-0 shutout over the 1936 New York Giants (31-47), allowing five hits, striking out four and walking one. The 1924 New York Giants are 9th in the NL in defense. RF Ross Youngs (.315, 2 HR, 28 RBI) and 2B Frankie Frisch (.308, 4 HR, 34 RBI) lead the team in hitting. SP Virgil Barnes (7-6, 2.24 ERA) and CL Claude Jonnard (2-3, 1.71, 21 saves) are tops on the pitching staff. The final team in this four way tie are the 1921 New York Giants. The '21 Giants are led by RF Ross Youngs (.314, 2 HR, 33 RBI) at the plate and SP Art Nehf (9-3, 2.68 ERA) on the mound.

The 1922 New York Giants are in last place at 36-46, 9 GB. 2B Frankie Frisch leads the team at the plate, hitting .327 with one home run and 20 RBI. SP Art Nehf (9-4, 2.07 ERA) is the team's best pitcher and made the news twice this month. On June 19, Nehf defeated the 1966 Los Angeles Dodgers (47-27) 7-0. Nehf scattered five hits, struck out three and walked four in the game. On June 27, Nehf defeated the 1932 Chicago Cubs (36-43) 4-0, allowing only one hit, striking out six and walking one.

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The American League 1930's Division is dominated by the New York Yankees, who have the top four spots. The division is led by the 1939 New York Yankees at 51-31. The Yankees are tied for 10th in the AL in runs scored (428), 6th in OBP (.362), 6th in runs against (293), 10th in starter ERA (3.33) and 1st in defense. CF Joe DiMaggio (.331, 14 HR, 63 RBI) and LF George Selkirk (.281, 14 HR, 57 RBI) lead the team at the plate. The pitching staff is led by SP Lefty Gomez (8-5, 2.04 ERA), SP Red Ruffing (9-5, 2.87 ERA) and SP Atley Donald (10-2, 3.25 ERA). The '39 Yankees dropped one game off their lead from May, going 12-13 in June. A seven game losing streak before the All-Star break contributed to their poor record, as they were swept by the 2011 Texas Rangers and 1990 Oakland A's. The Yankees finished the month 5-2, however. Making news for the team were starting pitchers Gomez and Ruffing. On June 5, Gomez threw a 3-0 win over the 1987 Minnesota Twins (24-37), allowing three hits, striking out nine and walking one. On June 30, Ruffing pitched a 3-0 win over the 2008 Tampa Rays (41-41), allowing only one hit, striking out four and walking one.

Two Yankees teams are tied for second place at 50-32, 1 GB. The first is the 1932 New York Yankees, who gained three games on the lead this month, finishing June with a record of 15-10. The '32 Yankees are 7th in the AL in OBP (.361) and tied for 7th in runs against (295). The pitching staff is ranked 6th overall and lead the AL in strikeouts. RF Babe Ruth (.324, 20 HR, 64 RBI) and 1B Lou Gehrig (.290, 13 HR, 48 RBI) lead the lineup. SP Lefty Gomez (10-4, 2.54 ERA), SP George Pipgras (9-3, 3.09 ERA) and CL Jumbo Brown (3-0, 1.89 ERA, 19 Saves) are tops on the mound. Pipgras made news for the club on June 27 with a 2-0 win over the 1937 New York Yankees (37-42). Pipgras allowed four hits, struck out ten and walked none in the shutout. The second team is the 1936 New York Yankees. The '36 Yankees are tied for 6th in the AL in runs scored (433), 2nd in OBP (.364) and 7th in defense. 1B Lou Gehrig (.338, 17 HR, 65 RBI), C Bill Dickey (.311, 12 HR, 47 RBI) and RF George Selkirk (.271, 14 HR, 46 RBI) lead the team in hitting. SP Lefty Gomez (7-4, 2.53 ERA) and SP Pat Malone (8-0, 2.65 ERA) have been performing well on the mound, but it was SP Red Ruffing making the papers for the Yankees on June 27 after a 14-0 rout of the 1965 Minnesota Twins (31-48). Ruffing allowed three hits, struck out five and walked one in the game. The '36 squad gained a game on first place in June after posting a 13-12 record for the month.

In fourth place are the 1938 New York Yankees at 46-36, 5 GB. The '38 Yanks are ranked 8th in the AL in defense and moved three games closer to first place after a 15-10 performance in June. 2B Joe Gordon leads the team in hitting with a .291 average. SP Lefty Gomez is 10-1, with a 1.83 ERA.

Fifth place in the division is held by the 1934 Detroit Tigers at 44-38, 7 GB. The Tigers have no .300 hitters in their lineup. SP Schoolboy Rowe leads the pitching staff at 9-4, 2.75 ERA. Rowe made headlines on June 10 with a 4-0 win over the 1976 New York Yankees. Rowe allowed three hits, struck out eight and walked one in the contest.

The 1933 Washington Senators are in sixth place at 43-39, 8 GB. The Senators are ranked 5th in the AL in average (.283) and 3rd in hits (830). They lack power, however, as they are tied for 99th in the AL in home runs with 29. Five .300 hitters are in the lineup for the Senators, who are led by RF Goose Goslin (.329, 5 HR, 60 RBI) and LF Heinie Manush (.325, 2 HR, 49 RBI). SP Earl Whitehill leads the pitchers with a record of 11-4 and a 2.77 ERA. SP Monte Weaver made news for the team on June 26 with a 5-0 win over the 1951 New York Yankees (37-41). Weaver allowed only three hits, struck out four and walked one.

Two Philadelphia Athletics teams are tied for seventh place at 42-40, 9 GB. The first is the 1930 Philadelphia Athletics. C Mickey Cochrane (.317, 3 HR, 35 RBI), LF Al Simmons (.298, 14 HR, 55 RBI) and 1B Jimmie Foxx (.276, 17 HR, 54 RBI) lead the team at the plate. SP Lefty Grove (11-3, 1.07 ERA) leads the pitching staff and leads the Majors in ERA. Grove is tied for 3rd in the AL in wins and is 4th in the AL in strikeouts (175). Grove made news for the team on June 10 in a 6-0 win over the 1951 New York Yankees (32-34). Grove allowed five hits, struck out seven and walked one in the game. The second is the 1931 Philadelphia Athletics. LF Al Simmons (.362, 10 HR, 43 RBI) leads the team in hitting and is 5th in the AL in average. The pitching staff is below average, although SP George Earnshaw (6-5, 4.78 ERA) made news for the team on June 16. Earnshaw pitched a 12-0 win over the 1955 New York Yankees (39-33), scattering four hits, striking out 12 and walking two.

The 1937 New York Yankees find themselves in ninth place with a record of 37-45, 14 GB. 1B Lou Gehrig (.296, 18 HR, 54 RBI) and CF Joe DiMaggio (.330, 13 HR, 66 RBI) lead the team in hitting. SP Lefty Gomez (9-7, 2.85 ERA) leads the pitching staff. Gomez made headlines for his team on June 24 when he pitched a NO-HITTER in a 4-0 win over the 2001 New York Yankees (33-43). Gomez struck out 13 and walked three.

In last place is the 1935 Detroit Tigers at 36-46, 15 GB. Detroit is ranked 4th in the AL in average (.284) and OBP (.362). The Tigers have good hitters, with four players hitting .300 or better. 1B Hank Greenberg leads the team at .345, 19 HR, 74 RBI. The pitching, however, is ranked 100th in the AL with a 5.19 ERA. SP Schoolboy Rowe (3-6, 4.26 ERA) made news for the Tigers on June 5 with a 6-0 win over the 1942 New York Yankees (29-32). Rowe allowed four hits, struck out five and walked two in the contest.

In the National League, the 1934 St. Louis Cardinals are in first place with a record of 46-36. The Cardinals were predicted to finish 5th in the division, but find themselves still holding onto the lead at the mid-point of the season. The Cardinals are ranked 10th in the NL in average (.277). LF Joe Medwick (.350, 11 HR, 66 RBI), 1B Ripper Collins (.315, 12 HR, 50 RBI) and C Bill DeLancey (.299, 7 HR, 38 RBI) lead the lineup at the plate. SP Paul Dean (9-4, 2.38 ERA) and SP Flint Rhem (9-5, 3.07 ERA) are tops for the pitching staff. St. Louis lost a game on their lead after posting a record of 11-14 in June. A five game losing streak and a sweep at the hands of the 1999 Atlanta Braves contributed to their downfall.

The 1938 Chicago Cubs are in second place at 44-38, 2 GB. The Cubs gained five games on first place in June after going 16-9, sweeping the 1932 Chicago Cubs and 1991 Atlanta Braves in the process. The '38 Cubs have no .300 hitters and no hitter has more than six home runs. CF Carl Reynolds leads the team with a .293 batting average. SP Clay Bryant (9-5, 2.30 ERA), SP Charlie Root (6-4, 2.25 ERA) and SP Tex Carleton (8-5, 3.47 ERA) are leading the way for the Cubs on the mound.

In third place are the 1935 Chicago Cubs at 42-40, 4 GB. 2B Billy Herman (.347) and 3B Stan Hack (.306) lead the team in hitting. SP Larry French (8-6, 3.38 ERA) and SP Bill Lee (8-5, 3.06 ERA) lead the pitching staff. SP Tex Carleton (6-8, 2.89 ERA) made news for the team on June 28 in a 1-0 win over the 1964 St. Louis Cardinals (28-52). Carleton allowed four hits, struck out eight and walked one. The '35 Cubs also went 16-9 in June, sweeping the 2008 Philadelphia Phillies and 1964 Cardinals.

Two teams are tied for fourth place in the division at 38-44, 8 GB. The first team is the 1932 Chicago Cubs. The Cubs are 107th in the NL in home runs with 21. C Gabby Hartnett (.319), CF Danny Taylor (.317) and LF Riggs Stephenson (.309) are tops for the team at the plate. SP Charlie Root (10-4, 2.36 ERA) leads the team on the mound. The Cubs suffered through a 6-19 June, as they had three 4 game losing streaks and a couple of three game skids. The second team in the tie are the 1937 New York Giants. The Giants are ranked last (108th) in the NL in stolen bases with four. 2B Burgess Whitehead (.303) and RF Jimmy Ripple (.301) lead the team in hitting. SP Carl Hubbell (10-6, 3.21 ERA) is the team's best pitcher.

The 1930 St. Louis Cardinals are in sixth place at 37-45, 9 GB. The Cardinals are in the bottom half of the NL in every category. C Gus Mancuso is hitting .300.

The preseason favorite 1931 St. Louis Cardinals are favorites no more. The '31 Cards are in seventh place at 35-47, 11 GB. The Cardinals are 103rd in home runs with 27. C Jimmie Wilson leads the team in hitting with a .302 average. SP Paul Derringer is the best pitcher at 6-5, 2.52 ERA. 2B Frankie Frisch (.292, 5 HR, 39 RBI) made news for the club on June 19 when he went 5 for 5 in an 11-1 win over the 1998 San Diego Padres (38-36). Frisch hit four singles and a home run in the game.

Two teams are tied for eighth place at 34-48, 12 GB. The first is the 1939 Cincinnati Reds. The Reds apparently have no speed, as they are tied for 105th in the NL with six stolen bases. Cincinnati also has no .300 hitters in their lineup. SP Bucky Walters (8-4, 2.61 ERA) and SP Johnny Vander Meer (8-5, 2.72 ERA) lead a starting pitching staff ranked 11th in the NL with a 3.02 ERA. Unfortunately, the bullpen is ranked 97th with a 5.44 ERA. Walters made headlines for the Reds on June 30 after a 4-0 win over the 1936 New York Giants (32-50). Walters allowed five hits, struck out four and walked four. The second team in the tie is the 1933 New York Giants. The Giants are 106th in the NL in runs scored (249), tied for 103rd in stolen bases (7) and 106th in Slugging Pct. (.337). LF Lefty O'Doul (.313, 10 HR, 37 RBI) leads the team in hitting, while SP Carl Hubbell (9-5, 2.89 ERA) leads the pitching staff.

In last place are the 1936 New York Giants at 32-50, 14 GB. The Giants have no .300 hitters and their pitching is below average. The Giants went 8-17 in June while being swept by the 1907 Chicago Cubs and 1928 St. Louis Cardinals.

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There is a two way tie for first place in the American League 1940's Division at 49-33. The preseason favorite, the 1941 New York Yankees, are the first. CF Joe DiMaggio (.349, 9 HR, 66 RBI) leads the team at the plate. SP Marius Russo (13-1, 1.58 ERA) is tops for the Yankees on the mound. Russo is 1st in the Majors in wins and was also named AL Pitcher of the Month for June. Russo went 5-0 with a 0.68 ERA. The '41 Yankees pitching staff is 5th in the AL with a combined ERA of 3.23. Three separate starters made news in June. SP Red Ruffing (7-7, 4.42 ERA) made headlines on June 8 with a 7-0 win over the 1926 New York Yankees (28-36). Ruffing allowed seven hits, struck out 10 and walked four. SP Marv Breuer (5-7, 4.24 ERA) saw his name in the paper on June 26 after a 10-0 win over the 1944 St. Louis Browns (37-41). Breuer held the Browns to four hits, while striking out eight and walking five. The Yankees ended up sweeping the Browns, shutting them out in all three games. SP Spud Chandler (7-6, 2.91 ERA) saw his name in ink on June 30 after a 8-0 win over the 2012 Detroit Tigers (34-48). Chandler scattered four hits, struck out nine and walked three in the game. The '41 Yankees ended the month 17-8 with six shutouts. The second team tied for first is the 1943 New York Yankees. The '43 squad is led at the plate by LF Charlie Keller, who is hitting .304 with 14 home runs and 40 RBI. The '43 Yankees starting rotation is 1st in the AL, with an ERA of 2.65. Their defense is ranked 11th in the AL. Check out this starting rotation: Spud Chandler (7-5, 1.38 ERA), Butch Wensloff (10-6, 2.73 ERA), Hank Borowy (9-6, 3.57 ERA), Tiny Bonham (10-4, 2.93 ERA) and Bill Zuber (9-5, 2.24 ERA). Chandler is currently 2nd in the AL in ERA and tied for 1st in the Majors for shutouts with four. Chandler was in the headlines on June 24 after a 3-0 win over the 2005 Chicago White Sox (30-46). Chandler allowed only three hits and struck out seven. Wensloff also made the news on June 30 with a 2-0 win over the 1951 New York Yankees (39-43). Wensloff allowed four hits and struck out ten.

The 1948 Cleveland Indians lost their grip on first place this month, falling a game out with a record of 48-34. The Indians are currently 2nd in the AL in home runs with 108, while their defense is ranked 9th in the AL. SS Lou Boudreau (.322, 9 HR, 42 RBI) and 3B Ken Keltner (.286, 24 HR, 69 RBI) are the Indians big threats at the plate. SP Gene Bearden leads the pitching staff with a 10-5 record and 2.68 ERA.

The 1947 New York Yankees are in fourth place at 45-37, 4 GB. CF Joe DiMaggio (.319, 15 HR, 63 RBI), 1B George McQuinn (.315, 8 HR, 38 RBI) and RF Tommy Henrich (.312, 18 HR, 59 RBI) are all hitting well halfway through the season. SP Spud Chandler is the team's best pitcher at 11-3, 1.84 ERA.

Two teams are tied for fifth place in the division at 41-41, 8 GB. The first is the 1946 Boston Red Sox. The Red Sox are 3rd in the AL in hitting with a .285 team batting average and are also 3rd in OBP at .362. So why aren't they doing better? Try having a pitching staff ranked 83rd in the AL. SS Johnny Pesky has been the big story in the first half of the season. Pesky is hitting .355 with 2 home runs and 31 RBI. He currently leads the AL in hits with 124. LF Ted Williams is still the main threat in the lineup, as he's posted a .343 average, with 18 home runs and 70 RBI. The Red Sox suffered through a 10-15 mark in June and were swept by the 1963 Yankees, as well as both the 1966 and 1969 Baltimore Orioles. The second team in this tie is the 1940 Detroit Tigers. The Tigers are much like the Red Sox. They have good hitting, but no pitching. Detroit is 9th in the AL with a .280 average and 1st in the AL in OBP at .371. But their pitching is 104th in the league. LF Hank Greenberg (.355, 19 HR, 70 RBI) leads the Tigers at the plate, while SP Tommy Bridges (9-7, 2.42 ERA) has been the lone highlight of the pitching staff.

In seventh place are the 1942 New York Yankees at 40-42, 9 GB. The team has no .300 hitters in their lineup. SP Atley Donald (8-5, 2.74 ERA) is doing well for the team, making news twice in the last two weeks of June. On June 20, Donald and the Yankees defeated the 1934 Detroit Tigers 5-0. Donald held the Tigers (41-34) to six hits while striking out six. On June 28, Donald won 7-0 against the 1957 Yankees (42-38). Donald held the '57 squad to five hits, while striking out seven and walking four.

Two teams find themselves tied for eighth place at 39-43, 10 GB. The first is the 1949 New York Yankees. CF Joe DiMaggio is hitting well at .343, 13 HR, 63 RBI, but the team's pitching is ranked 101st in the American League. The second team is the 1944 St. Louis Browns. The Browns have no .300 hitters, but SP Bob Muncrief is doing all he can for the team. Muncrief (8-4, 2.81 ERA) made news for the team on June 8 with a 5-0 win over the 1910 Philadelphia Athletics (30-34). Muncrief scattered six hits in the game while striking out eight.

Very much in last place are the 1945 Detroit Tigers at 29-53, 20 GB. It should be noted, however, that the Tigers improved for the second straight month after their horrendous 6-22 start. Could a winning record be on the horizon for this team? They've followed it up with records of 11-18 in May and now 12-13 in June. 3B Don Ross is the team's best hitter at .308. SP Dizzy Trout (5-10, 5.12 ERA) made headlines for the club on June 6 when he pitched a 3-0 shutout win over the 1960 New York Yankees (36-26). Trout allowed six hits, struck out six and walked one. SP Hal Newhouser (6-7, 2.55 ERA) made news for the team on June 29 in a 7-0 rout of the 2000 New York Yankees (34-47). Newhouser scattered five hits, struck out seven and walked six.

In the National League, the lead is held by the 1944 St. Louis Cardinals at 53-29. The Cardinals are sitting on a six game lead at the midpoint. St. Louis is 15th in the NL in average (.272), 17th in OBP (.339) and the pitching staff is ranked 18th with a combined ERA of 3.29. CF Johnny Hopp is the leading hitter at .345, 8 HR, 33 RBI. SP Harry Brecheen (8-2, 2.40 ERA) and SP Max Lanier (9-4, 2.52 ERA) are the team's best pitchers. SP Mort Cooper (6-6, 3.41 ERA) made headlines on June 30 with a 4-0 win over the 1914 Boston Braves (38-44). Cooper allowed six hits, struck out eight and walked three in the contest. The Cardinals posted a record of 19-6 in June, sweeping the 1940 and 1975 Cincinnati Reds, as well as the 1963 Los Angeles Dodgers.

Two teams are tied for second place in the division at 47-35, 6 GB. The first is the 1949 Brooklyn Dodgers. Brooklyn is 9th in the NL in home runs with 89. 2B Jackie Robinson (.349, 6 HR, 46 RBI) is the team's best hitter. SP Ralph Branca (8-5, 3.06 ERA) has been tops on the mound for the Dodgers. Brooklyn went 16-9 in June, sweeping the 1959 Los Angeles Dodgers, the 1984 San Diego Padres and the 1924 New York Giants. The 1940 Cincinnati Reds are the second team in the tie. After being tied for 1st place at the end of May, the Reds find themselves in a decline. Cincinnati has the 12th best starting rotation in the NL with a 3.03 ERA, but their bullpen is below average. C Ernie Lombardi (.309, 12 HR, 33 RBI) leads the team at the plate. SP Bucky Walters (10-5, 2.09 ERA) is tied for 1st in the Majors with four shutouts. SP Whitey Moore (7-6, 3.87 ERA) and SP Paul Derringer (10-7, 2.28 ERA) made news for the team on consecutive days. On June 14, Moore pitched a 3-0 win over the 2005 Houston Astros (39-31). Moore allowed four hits, struck out two and walked three. On June 15, Derringer shutout the Astros again, this time 7-0. Derringer also allowed only four hits, struck out three and walked two.

Two teams are tied for fourth place at 46-36, 7 GB. The first is the 1948 Boston Braves, who were preseason favorites to win the division by a slim margin. The Braves have the National League's best defense and their pitching staff is ranked 5th in the NL. SS Al Dark (.299, 2 HR, 31 RBI) and LF Jeff Heath (.296, 13 HR, 38 RBI) are the threats at the plate. SP Warren Spahn (9-5, 2.52 ERA) and SP Johnny Sain (8-5, 2.52 ERA) are leading the starting staff. Boston put together an eight game winning streak in the first half of June en route to a 15-10 record for the month. The second team in the tie is the 1942 St. Louis Cardinals. The Cardinals are led by RF Enos Slaughter, who is hitting .386, with six homers and 55 RBI. Slaughter is 3rd in the NL in average and OBP (.464). SP Lon Warneke (10-4, 3.14 ERA) is tied for 1st in the Majors with four shutouts. Warneke also made headlines twice in June. On June 14, Warneke threw a 7-0 shutout win against the 1953 Brooklyn Dodgers (42-28). Warneke allowed four hits and struck out nine. On June 20, Warneke defeated the 1983 Philadelphia Phillies 4-0. The Phillies (27-48) were held to five hits. Also making news for St. Louis was SP Max Lanier (7-7, 2.27 ERA). Lanier and the Cardinals defeated the 2010 San Francisco Giants 10-0 on June 25. The Giants (27-52) only managed two hits while striking out ten times.

The 1941 Brooklyn Dodgers are in sixth place with a record of 42-40, 11 GB. The Dodgers are ranked 13th in the NL in defense. CF Pete Reiser (.320, 8 HR, 48 RBI) leads the team in average, while 1B Dolph Camilli (.287, 19 HR, 74 RBI) is ranked 2nd in the NL in runs batted in. RF Dixie Walker (.318, 3 HR, 33 RBI) is also hitting well for Brooklyn. SP Whit Wyatt (9-7, 2.34 ERA) and SP Hugh Casey (9-2, 2.38 ERA) lead the team in pitching.

In seventh place are the 1945 Chicago Cubs at 41-41, 12 GB. The Cubs are 9th in the NL in average (.278), 12th in OBP (.344) and 105th in home runs (23). Chicago dropped eight games off the pace in June, posting a record of 11-14. 1B Phil Cavarretta leads the team with his .328 average. SP Claude Passeau (8-3, 2.69 ERA) made news for the Cubs on June 15 with a 7-0 win over the 1930 St. Louis Cardinals (33-38). Passeau allowed five hits and struck out five. The next day, June 16, the Cardinals (33-39) were victims of the shutout again, this time at the hands of SP Ray Prim (7-5, 2.54 ERA). Prim and the Cubs humiliated the Cardinals 13-0, allowing only three hits while striking out eight.

The 1947 Brooklyn Dodgers find themselves in eighth place at 39-43, 14 GB. Brooklyn is 10th in the NL in runs scored (397) and 6th in the NL in OBP (.353). RF Dixie Walker (.312, 5 HR, 46 RBI) and 1B Jackie Robinson (.310, 7 HR, 63 RBI) lead the team in hitting. Walker is tied for 3rd in the NL in doubles with 34. SP Vic Lombardi (6-6, 3.47 ERA) leads a pitching staff ranked 97th in the NL.

In ninth place are the 1943 St. Louis Cardinals at 38-44, 15 GB. St. Louis is terrible at hitting, with the exception of CF Stan Musial (.314). The Cardinals are 105th in the NL in runs scored (252) and 107th in stolen bases with five. Meanwhile, the pitching staff ranks 8th in the NL with a combined ERA of 3.10. Musial hit for the cycle on June 27 against the 1959 Brooklyn Dodgers (26-53) in a 9-2 victory. The Cardinals actually performed well in June, posting a record of 15-10 and sweeping the 1997 Florida Marlins, 1959 Brooklyn Dodgers and 1935 Chicago Cubs.

Way back in last place are the 1946 St. Louis Cardinals at 26-56, 27 GB. The Cards are 18th in the NL in batting average at .271, while their pitching is ranked 102nd and the defense is 98th. LF Stan Musial leads the National League in hitting with a .409 average. Musial is also 2nd in the NL in OBP at .477. SP Harry Brecheen (5-7, 2.80 ERA) made headlines for the club on June 15 with a 4-0 win over the 1976 Cincinnati Reds (45-26). Brecheen allowed four hits, struck out five and walked one.

[The Game]

Glad to see you are still doing this. i am thinking of doing something similar but with just World Series winners. i have to see how i want to set it up.

[abell1198]

I am still doing this, although things have slowed down more than I'd like. Seems like work, life and family keep pulling me away from OOTP. Plus, it takes me a couple of hours of research for each division and then the write up. And in all fairness, I keep distracting myself with new dynasty ideas after reading some of the great write-ups here on the board.

[abell1198]

In yet another decade of Yankee domination, the American League 1950's Division has a good race going, unlike it's National League counterpart. The American League is led by the 1952 New York Yankees at 49-33. The team is 3rd in the AL in runs scored with 438 and is currently ranked 15th in defense. The '52 Yankees 2-3-4 punch looks like this:

DH Gene Woodling .313, 14 HR, 56 RBI
CF Mickey Mantle .291, 16 HR, 62 RBI
C Yogi Berra .303, 13 HR, 62 RBI

The starting pitching top three is just as dominating:

SP Eddie Lopat 11-1, 2.81 ERA
SP Vic Raschi 10-4, 3.28 ERA
SP Allie Reynolds 7-3, 2.45 ERA

The Yankees went 16-9 in June and held onto 1st place. Woodling is tied for 3rd in the AL in runs scored with 74. The pitching is 17th overall with a 3.27 ERA. Raschi made news for the club on June 6 with an 8-0 win over the 1908 Detroit Tigers (29-33). Raschi allowed only two hits in the game, while striking out five and walking four.

Two teams are tied for second place, only one game behind the lead at 48-34. The 1954 Cleveland Indians are led by 2B Bobby Avila's .299 batting average. Interestingly enough, the Indians only have 3 stolen bases on the year!! But pitching is what leads this team, with the starting pitchers ranked 3rd in the AL, while the entire staff ranks 7th as a whole. SP Early Wynn leads the pitchers at 10-4, 2.22 ERA. However, it was SP Bob Feller (8-7, 2.72 ERA) making the papers for the team on June 20 after a 1-0 win over the 1937 New York Yankees (35-40). Feller held the Yankees to three hits, struck out six and walked one. The second team in the tie are the 1958 New York Yankees. C Elston Howard (.308, 8 HR, 37 RBI), CF Mickey Mantle (.271, 20 HR, 50 RBI) and RF Yogi Berra (.296, 19 HR, 75 RBI) lead the team at the plate. SP Bobby Shantz (9-3, 2.15 ERA) is the team's top pitcher. The Yankees had a great month, posting a 19-6 record in June to move up three games into second place. Howard made headlines on two occasions this month. On June 5, Howard went 6 for 6 with five singles and a double in a 15-6 rout of the 1944 St. Louis Browns (31-30). On June 18, Howard again went 6 for 6, this time against the 1955 New York Yankees (39-34). The '58 squad defeated the '55 team 15-5, as Howard hit for the cycle. Joining Howard in the headlines that day was 1B Bill Skowron (.255, 5 HR, 35 RBI). Skowron was 5 for 6 in that game, with three singles and two doubles.

In fourth place are the 1953 New York Yankees at 46-36, 3 GB. CF Mickey Mantle leads the team at .296, 16 HR, 62 RBI. SP Vic Raschi is 9-5 with a 2.37 ERA, while SP Johnny Sain is 8-3 with a 2.39 ERA. The pitching staff is ranked 14th in the AL.

The 1957 New York Yankees find themselves at 44-38, 5 GB after being tied for 1st place at the end of May. The '57 squad went 11-14 in June and were swept by the 1934 Detroit Tigers and 1946 Boston Red Sox. DH Mickey Mantle (.333, 14 HR, 46 RBI) and 1B Bill Skowron (.325, 16 HR, 72 RBI) lead the lineup. Mantle is currently ranked 2nd in the AL in OBP at .481. SP Bob Turley leads the pitching staff at 11-4, 3.34 ERA.

In six place are the 1955 New York Yankees at 41-41, 8 GB. 2B Gil McDougald is hitting .300. The pitching is 75th in the AL with a 4.57 ERA. The '55 Yanks are currently on a four game losing streak and have lost six of their last seven.

The 1951 New York Yankees are in seventh place at 39-43, 10 GB. The team has no .300 hitters in the lineup. SP Vic Raschi is 8-7 with a 3.20 ERA, while SP Johnny Sain is somehow 11-4 with his 4.10 ERA. Raschi made news for the team on June 5 with an 8-0 win over the 1907 Detroit Tigers (25-36). Raschi struck out 12, while allowing five hits and walking two.

In eighth place are the 1950 New York Yankees at 38-44, 11 GB. DH Johnny Hopp is hitting .318, while two other Yankee players are hitting over .300. Hopp had a 20 game hit streak end on June 29. SP Allie Reynolds is 8-5 with a 3.14 ERA, while SP Vic Raschi is 9-6 with a 3.80 ERA. Raschi made news for the club on June 30 with a 7-0 win over the 1927 New York Yankees (55-27). Raschi held the '27 team to only two hits, while striking out 16 and walking four.

The 1956 New York Yankees are in ninth place at 28-54, 21 GB. The '56 squad is led by LF Lou Skizas (.298, 9 HR, 37 RBI), CF Mickey Mantle (.291, 23 HR, 52 RBI) and 1B Bill Skowron (.290, 8 HR, 52 RBI). The Yankees pitching is ranked 96th in the AL, with a 5.09 ERA. RF Enos Slaughter (.267, 1 HR, 32 RBI) made the headlines on June 1 when he went 5 for 5 in a 14-4 win over the 1959 Chicago White Sox (19-39). Slaughter had four singles and a double.

Speaking of the 1959 Chicago White Sox, they are in last place at 25-57, 24 GB. Not much to say here. They hit .239 at the plate (101st in the AL) and the pitching is ranked 91st with a 4.93 ERA. The team did make headlines on back-to-back days. On June 26, LF Bubba Phillips (.295, 2 HR, 36 RBI) went 5 for 7 in a 13-10 loss (14 Innings) to the 1926 New York Yankees (37-41). Phillips had four doubles and a single in the game. On June 27, CF Jim Landis (.278, 3 HR, 32 RBI) went 6 for 6 in a 10-8 win over the 1984 Detroit Tigers (43-36). Landis hit four singles, a double and a home run.

The National League 1950's Division is a tad less competitive. The 1953 Brooklyn Dodgers have a six game lead with a 49-33 record. The Dodgers are 1st in the NL in home runs (112) and runs scored (462). They are also 4th in the NL in average at .285. Check out this lineup, 1-6:

LF Jackie Robinson .337, 7 HR, 34 RBI
1B Gil Hodges .289, 26 HR, 61 RBI
CF Duke Snider .306, 22 HR, 59 RBI
C Roy Campanella .319, 14 HR, 61 RBI
RF Carl Furillo .332, 15 HR, 58 RBI
3B Billy Cox .305, 7 HR, 44 RBI

Robinson made headlines on June 9 when he hit for the cycle (4 for 5) during a 15-8 win over the 1960 Pittsburgh Pirates (26-39).

SP Carl Erskine is 10-3 with a 2.22 ERA and won the NL Pitcher of the Month award after finishing June 5-0. Erskine pitched 36 innings, struck out 40, had a 1.25 ERA and held opposing hitters to a .215 average.

In second place are the 1951 New York Giants at 43-39, 6 GB. The Giants are tied for 10th in the NL in home runs with 87. 1B Monte Irvin (.300, 20 HR, 54 RBI) and SS Al Dark (.299, 13 HR, 40 RBI) lead the team at the plate. Dark is leading the Majors with 37 doubles and is 1st in the NL with 78 runs scored. SP Sal Maglie (7-4, 2.27 ERA) and SP Larry Jansen (6-6, 2.66 ERA) lead the pitching staff. Maglie made the news on June 6 after a 4-2 win over the 1988 Los Angeles Dodgers (35-27). Maglie scattered six hits, struck out 15 batters and walked two. SP Al Corwin (6-5, 4.30 ERA) also made headlines for the team on June 28 in a 5-0 win over the 2011 St. Louis Cardinals (43-37). Corwin held the Cards to five hits, struck out six and walked one.

The 1954 New York Giants are in third place at 39-43, 10 GB. CF Willie Mays is the star of the club. Mays is hitting .340 with 26 home runs and 59 RBI. Mays collected two NL Player of the Week awards this month and also won the NL Top Batter Award for June. Mays hit .453 with 10 home runs and 23 RBI for the month. Mays is currently ranked 2nd in the NL in total bases (211), 3rd in slugging (.696) and is tied for 3rd in home runs. SP Jim Hearn leads the pitchers with a 6-5 record and 3.19 ERA.

In fourth place are the 1956 Brooklyn Dodgers at 38-44, 11 GB. CF Duke Snider is the leading hitter with a .295 average, 21 home runs and 64 RBI. The pitching is ranked 98th in the NL with a 4.54 ERA.

The 1955 Brooklyn Dodgers are in fifth place at 37-45, 12 GB. The '55 Dodgers are 8th in the NL in OBP (.347) and home runs (91). They are ranked 5th in slugging at .438. C Roy Campanella (.345, 19 HR, 47 RBI), CF Duke Snider (.322, 18 HR, 64 RBI) and 1B Gil Hodges (.305, 17 HR, 47 RBI) lead the team's lineup. Unfortunately for them, their pitching staff is ranked 101st in the NL with a 4.68 ERA. SS Pee Wee Reese made headlines for the club on June 25 after going 5 for 5 in a 12-4 win over the 1949 Brooklyn Dodgers (45-32). Reese had four singles and a home run in the game.

Two teams are tied for sixth in the division at 36-46, 13 GB. The first team is the 1952 Brooklyn Dodgers. The Dodgers are ranked 7th in the NL in home runs with 92. 3B Andy Pafko (.332, 15 HR, 41 RBI), C Roy Campanella (.311, 18 HR, 63 RBI) and 2B Jackie Robinson (.308, 11 HR, 33 RBI) lead the team at the plate. Pitching, however, is ranked 105th in the NL with a 4.94 ERA. The second team is the 1958 Milwaukee Braves. The Braves are led by RF Hank Aaron (.334, 14 HR, 60 RBI) and LF Wes Covington (.315, 18 HR, 58 RBI) at the plate, while SP Bob Rush (9-8, 3.14 ERA) is tops on the mound.

In eighth place are the 1957 Milwaukee Braves at 31-51, 18 GB. The Braves have no .300 hitters and are currently ranked 103rd in the NL in average (.235) and 107th in OBP (.291). SP Warren Spahn is 6-10 with a 2.75 ERA. SP Bob Buhl (4-8, 3.03 ERA) made headlines on June 18 with a 6-0 win over the 1960 Pittsburgh Pirates (29-44). Buhl allowed five hits, struck out six and walked one in the contest.

The 1950 Philadelphia Phillies are in ninth place at 28-54, 21 GB. There are no .300 hitters on the team, but CF Richie Ashburn is close at .297. The pitching staff is 104th in the NL with a 4.93 ERA.

In last place are the 1959 Los Angeles Dodgers at 26-56, 23 GB. RF Duke Snider leads the team in hitting with a .312 average, 15 HR and 45 RBI. Snider made the press on June 24 after going 6 for 6 in a 12-2 win over the 1925 Pittsburgh Pirates (37-39). Snider hit four singles, a double and a home run. SP Sandy Koufax is 7-7 with a 4.62 ERA on a pitching staff ranked 106th in the NL (5.05 ERA).

[rjl518]

Go mets 1969, 1973 1986,

go marlins 1997 2003

[abell1198]

As we enter the 1960's, we see the preseason favorites rising to the top and fulfilling the hype. In the American League, the 1969 Baltimore Orioles have taken the lead by six games. The Orioles are 53-39 at the midway point of the season. Check out the middle of this lineup:

3. RF Frank Robinson .310, 22 HR, 56 RBI
4. 1B Boog Powell .308, 24 HR, 65 RBI
5. LF Don Buford .305, 7 HR, 43 RBI
6. 2B Davey Johnson, .320, 2 HR, 32 RBI

The Orioles pitching is just as impressive:

SP Mike Cuellar 8-5, 2.34 ERA
SP Jim Palmer 9-5, 2.53 ERA
SP Dave McNally 10-3, 3.71 ERA
SP Jim Hardin 10-5, 4.09 ERA

McNally made the headlines for the club on June 1 with a 1-0 win over the 1957 New York Yankees (33-25). McNally allowed six hits, struck out eight and walked two. This team is currently 2nd in the AL in average (.287), tied for 4th in HR (102) and 9th in OBP (.359). The finished June with a 16-9 record and swept the 1946 and 1918 Boston Red Sox.

Two teams are tied for second place at 47-35, 6 GB. The first is the former division leader, the 1961 New York Yankees. The Yankees posted a record of 9-16 in June, winning only one series. The team is tied for 4th in the AL in home runs with 102. C Elston Howard (.353, 6 HR, 39 RBI) leads the team in average, while RF Roger Maris (.301, 30 HR, 66 RBI) and CF Mickey Mantle (.274, 20 HR, 53 RBI) provide the power. SP Ralph Terry (11-3, 3.18 ERA) leads the starters, while CL Luis Arroyo (1-2, 1.60 ERA, 21 saves) is shutting it down for the bullpen. The second team in the tie are the 1963 New York Yankees. The '63 Yankees are tied for 10th in the AL in home runs with 93. 1B Joe Pepitone (.307, 17 HR, 43 RBI) is the team's only .300 hitter, but six players in this lineup have 10+ home runs halfway through the season. SP Jim Bouton is 11-3 with a 3.31 ERA to lead the pitchers. Bouton made news for the team on June 1 in a 4-0 win over the 1946 Boston Red Sox (31-27). Bouton held the Red Sox to two hits, struck out 13 and walked one in the victory.

In fourth place are the 1960 New York Yankees at 44-38, 9 GB. The 1960 squad dropped three games off the pace this month by winning only two series, finishing June at 12-13. Fortunately, the series wins were sweeps of the 1986 Boston Red Sox and 1965 Minnesota Twins. 1B Bill Skowron (.296, 8 HR, 40 RBI) and LF Hector Lopez (.294, 6 HR, 27 RBI) are pacing the team in average, while CF Mickey Mantle (.282, 17 HR, 39 RBI) and RF Roger Maris (.240, 17 HR, 50 RBI) are the deep threats. SP Whitey Ford leads the pitching with a record of 8-6 and a 3.27 ERA. The bullpen is ranked 5th in the AL with a 2.98 ERA.

The 1962 New York Yankees are in fifth place at 39-43, 14 GB. The Yankees are 106th in the AL in stolen bases with five. Five!!! SS Tom Tresh leads the team in batting average at .316, while RF Roger Maris (.252, 19 HR, 61 RBI) adds the power. Tresh made headlines for the team on June 27 when he went 5 for 6 in a 5-4 win over the 1922 New York Yankees (34-45) in 11 innings. SP Ralph Terry (8-6, 3.56 ERA) is tops on the mound, but I'm still trying to figure out what's going on with SP Whitey Ford. Ford is 2-13 with a 5.15 ERA!!! That puts him tied for 2nd in the AL in losses. On a brighter note, C Elston Howard (.266, 14 HR, 50 RBI) was named AL Player of the Week on June 24 after hitting .545 with three homers and nine RBI.

In sixth place are the 1968 Detroit Tigers at 37-45, 16 GB. The Tigers are 8th in the AL in home runs with 99. DH Willie Horton is having a monster season. .342 batting average, 35 HR, 82 RBI. That puts him in 2nd place in the AL in both HR and RBI. SP Denny McLain (5-7, 3.27 ERA) and SP Earl Wilson (8-5, 3.65 ERA) lead the team on the mound.

The 1967 Boston Red Sox are in seventh place in the division at 36-46, 17 GB. The Red Sox are 1st in the AL in home runs with 112, but 105th in defense. LF Carl Yastrzemski (.310, 27 HR, 59 RBI), DH Tony Horton (.317, 12 HR, 34 RBI) and 1B George Scott (.310, 15 HR, 50 RBI) are threats at the plate, but Boston's pitching is killing them, ranking 95th in the AL with a 5.08 ERA.

In eighth place are the 1964 New York Yankees at 35-47, 18 GB. 2B Bobby Richardson (.334, 6 HR, 32 RBI) leads a lineup with three other .300 hitters, but SP Whitey Ford (9-4, 3.14 ERA) is the only winning pitcher in the rotation.

The 1966 Baltimore Orioles must have missed the memo that said they were supposed to be competitive in this competition. The Orioles sit in ninth place at 34-48, 19 GB. The team has no .300 hitters, but 1B Boog Powell is hitting .292. SP Steve Barber (6-8, 3.87 ERA) is Baltimore's best pitcher.

In last place in the division are the 1965 Minnesota Twins at 33-49, 20 GB. RF Tony Oliva (.316), C Earl Battey (.309) and CF Jimmie Hall (.307) are all hitting well, but the starting pitching is 105th in the AL with a 5.66 ERA.

The National League 1960's Division is still led by the 1969 New York Mets at 58-24. This team is currently ranked at the top of the power rankings. Why? Try a pitching staff ranked 1st overall with a 2.66 ERA. The starters are ranked 1st on their own, while the bullpen is 5th in the NL. Check out this starting rotation:

SP Jerry Koosman 11-4, 2.10 ERA
SP Tom Seaver 9-4, 2.52 ERA
SP Jim McAndrew 6-2, 2.62 ERA
SP Gary Gentry 5-5, 3.49 ERA
SP Nolan Ryan 8-3, 2.68 ERA

And let's not forget the bullpen. CL Tug McGraw 4-3, 2.18 ERA, 26 Saves

Oh...and their defense is ranked 8th in the NL. The Mets went 20-5 in June and padded their lead by three games. LF Cleon Jones (.342, 6 HR, 36 RBI) leads the team in average, while RF Art Shamsky (.301, 20 HR, 69 RBI) leads the team in power. Koosman made headlines for the club on June 29 with a 4-0 win over the 1963 L.A. Dodgers (44-37), allowing only two hits, striking out nine and walking one. Koosman is tied for 2nd in the NL in wins, while McGraw is tied for 2nd in the NL in saves. The Mets won every series this month, including sweeps of the 2010 S.F. Giants, 1981 L.A. Dodgers and 1946 St. Louis Cardinals.

In second place are the 1966 Los Angeles Dodgers at 52-30, 6 GB. The Dodgers pitching is 3rd overall in the NL with a 2.91 ERA. This starting rotation is no joke either. Check out the top four:

SP Claude Osteen 9-1, 1.87 ERA
SP Sandy Koufax 7-4, 2.28 ERA
SP Don Sutton 9-4, 3.86 ERA
SP Don Drysdale 8-3, 3.41 ERA

Sutton made news for the team on June 11 after a 4-0 win over the 1937 N.Y. Giants (31-36). Sutton scattered four hits, struck out eight and walked four in the game. 2B Jim Lefebvre (.326, 11 HR, 52 RBI) and LF Lou Johnson (.303, 11 HR, 54 RBI) lead the Dodgers at the plate. The Dodgers were 17-8 in June and put together an eight game win streak with sweeps of the 1932 Chicago Cubs and 1937 N.Y. Giants.

The 1962 San Francisco Giants find themselves in third place with a record of 48-34, 10 GB. The Giants are 3rd in the NL in runs scored with 453 and 2nd in home runs with 107. 2B Chuck Hiller (.315, 3 HR, 34 RBI), CF Willie Mays (.314, 19 HR, 60 RBI) and 1B Orlando Cepeda (.292, 23 HR, 73 RBI) lead the lineup. Cepeda is 3rd in the NL in RBI. SP Jack Sanford (8-2, 2.76 ERA) and SP Billy O'Dell (6-6, 2.82 ERA) lead the pitching staff. Sanford made news for the team on June 16 with a 7-0 win over the 1993 Philadelphia Phillies (35-37). Sanford allowed three hits, struck out four and walked four in the game. C Tom Haller (.254, 13 HR, 40 RBI) was named NL Player of the Week on June 24 after hitting .583 with 3 HR and 8 RBI.

In fourth place are the 1963 Los Angeles Dodgers at 45-37, 13 GB. The '63 Dodgers starting pitching is 2nd in the NL with a 2.73 ERA and is ranked 7th overall at 3.08. Check out this rotation:

SP Sandy Koufax 10-6, 2.33 ERA
SP Don Drysdale 7-6, 2.90 ERA
SP Bob Miller 5-7, 2.89 ERA
SP Johnny Podres 7-3, 2.26 ERA
SP Pete Richert 3-4, 3.38 ERA

SS Maury Wills (.309, 0 HR, 26 RBI) leads the team in average, while RF Frank Howard (.287, 15 HR, 40 RBI) is the power bat in the lineup. Howard made headlines on June 14 when he went 5 for 7 in a 5-4 loss to the 1974 L.A. Dodgers (36-34) in 17 innings.

Two teams are tied for fifth place at 44-38, 14 GB. The first team is the 1965 Los Angeles Dodgers. The '65 Dodgers have a bullpen ranked 2nd in the NL with a 2.29 ERA, while their defense is 5th in the NL. SS Maury Wills (.318, 0 HR, 18 RBI) leads the NL in stolen bases with 42. The Dodgers as a team have 59. SP Sandy Koufax (5-7, 2.32 ERA) is the team's best pitcher. The second team is the 1967 St. Louis Cardinals. The Cardinals starting pitching is ranked 7th in the NL with a 2.96 ERA. SP Bob Gibson (9-5, 2.07 ERA) and SP Dick Hughes (6-4, 2.21 ERA) lead the way for the staff. Both Gibson and Hughes made headlines for the club in June. On June 5, Gibson shutout the 1928 St. Louis Cardinals (34-27) 5-0, while scattering six hits, striking out ten and walking none. Two days later on June 7, against the same '28 Cardinals (34-29), Hughes wins a 2-0 shutout. Hughes allowed five hits, struck out eight and walked two. CF Curt Flood (.348, 2 HR, 36 RBI) leads the Cardinals in average, while 1B Orlando Cepeda (.302, 16 HR, 58 RBI) provides the power. Also making news for the team was 2B Julian Javier (.275, 6 HR, 26 RBI). On June 16, Javier went 5 for 6 in an 11-7 win over the 1909 Pittsburgh Pirates (41-31). Javier had three singles and two doubles in the game. The Cardinals lost only one series in June while posting a 15-10 record.

Two teams are also tied for seventh place at 38-44, 20 GB. The first is the 1961 Cincinnati Reds. The Reds are led by CF Vada Pinson (.338, 6 HR, 27 RBI) and RF Wally Post (.313, 20 HR, 67 RBI). Pinson made news for the club on June 5 in an 8-2 win over the 1916 Brooklyn Robins (34-27). Pinson went 5 for 5 with four singles and a double. SP Joey Jay (8-3, 3.42 ERA) is the best pitcher on a starting rotation ranked 102nd in the NL. The second team is the 1968 St. Louis Cardinals. 3B Mike Shannon (.306, 9 HR, 55 RBI) is the best hitter on a team ranked 107th in the NL in runs scored (237), 98th in OBP (.299) and 104th in home runs (26). SP Ray Washburn (8-6, 2.19 ERA), SP Bob Gibson (7-7, 2.89 ERA) and SP Steve Carlton (6-4, 3.29 ERA) are all pitching well. CF Curt Flood (.272, 0 HR, 12 RBI) made headlines for the Cardinals on June 28 when he went 5 for 5 during a 6-5 win over the 1937 N.Y. Giants (38-42) in 10 innings. Flood had four singles and a double in the game.

The 1960 Pittsburgh Pirates are in ninth place at 34-48, 24 GB. The Pirates are 101st in the NL in runs scored with 273. 3B Don Hoak (.339, 8 HR, 37 RBI) leads the team in hitting, while SP Vinegar Bend Mizell (6-4, 2.54 ERA) is the team's best pitcher.

Very much in last place are the 1964 St. Louis Cardinals at 29-53, 29 GB. The Cardinals were 8-17 in June and were swept four times. C Tim McCarver (.328, 5 HR, 40 RBI) leads a lineup ranked 104th in the NL in runs scored (257) and 101st in OBP (.294). SP Ray Sadecki (5-6, 2.96 ERA) is the club's best pitcher. Sadecki made headlines for the team on June 6 with a 7-0 win over the 1990 Cincinnati Reds (31-31). Sadecki allowed only two hits, struck out six and walked four.